The Bear
by Mrs. Brownloe
Summary: Bella returns to Forks after the death of her father only to find true love. Or was it something else?
1. Beginnings

**The Bear**

**Chapter One: Beginnings**

**_"Whatever you do to the animals, you do to yourself."_**

I wasn't at all sure about returning to Forks after my father had died. I mean, _Forks_ was just another word for _Charlie Swan_. I knew that once there, everywhere I turned I'd run into a memory; memories so powerful that they would be like he was standing right there wondering what the hell I was getting all sappy about. But like a siren—not the one that came with his police cruiser, but the ones that lured you in too close to the rocks—I couldn't resist. Charlie and Forks were calling me, Bella Swan, home and I had to go.

My father's death had been particularly horrifying. He had been out fishing, got cornered by a grizzly, and couldn't get away. Hopefully, it had been over quickly. The old bear got him in the neck and dropped him in a stream. Dad must have been dead when he hit the water, his neck broken. Something must have frightened the animal off because dad's body was found the next morning lying in the stream that had washed all his blood away. He'd bled so much the coroner said he was completely exsanguinated. They told me he had looked as though he had just laid down for a nap—that is if you didn't look at the gash in his neck. I have nightmares about it still.

Billy Black, my father's life-long friend, and his son, Jake, approached me after the funeral and let me know that every able bodied Quileute man was hunting for that bear and it wouldn't be long before he was caught and killed just as it had killed my father. They cautioned me to stay out of the woods until they'd got him. I thought that was sort of strange. It wasn't like I spent any time in the woods on a regular basis. But I guess they were trying to offer what support and reassurance they could. From just the way they said it, I knew that bear wouldn't stand a chance. Poor Bear. But poor Charlie. And poor me.

I had finished college just a few weeks before and had been in the process of moving out of my old apartment in Seattle. I hadn't found a job, thank you very much global recession, so I had the wonderful choice between nowhere and nowhere else to go. A friend of mine was letting me bunk on her couch until I figured things out, but that was temporary. I had been beginning to feel desperate.

After the funeral, I realized I finally had a place to go. Dad had left his house to me—the house he had inherited from his parents. The same house he had brought his bride to, my mother Renee. It was the house where I had been conceived, the house where I had been born—my home birth was mom's idea—and the house she eventually had left taking me with her. My dad had lived there all alone until he also left, though not through his choice.

It seems with real estate, the building stays the same; it's the people who change.

I stood on the cracked walk that led to the porch steps of my small house and stared up at the white vinyl siding, the green shingled roof and the blank windows staring back at me. I was a little surprised to feel a kinship with the place. I realized for the first time in my life, something belonged to me, or maybe it was that I belonged to something. This is the place where I had my beginnings; my conception, my birth, and now the start of my adulthood.

I spent the next week going through the place and figuring out what to keep and what to give away. Dad sure had a lot of plaid shirts. They were big on me but one made a nice bathrobe to wear around the house. It was warm and smelled faintly of him, a mixture of Old Spice and Wrigley's spearmint gum. It comforted me, I guess.

I was relieved to discover that my father was meticulous about the upkeep, so everything was running well. The mechanics and the appliances worked and had been regularly serviced—he had the records proving it—all the windows opened and closed easily, even all the light bulbs worked. The yard was tidy and the house was clean for a bachelor, even though he probably never made the bed completely.

He kept all his bills and papers in a desk in the spare room on the first floor. Everything was neatly labeled and filed in hanging folders in a drawer. It was as if he knew I'd have to step into his shoes one day and he wanted to make it easy for me. It didn't surprise me, though. That's just the way he was.

Though Renee took me away from him at an early age, I was close to my dad. We spoke once a week by phone, and he had the endearing habit of sending me goofy postcards occasionally—"Wish you were here" emblazoned across a picture of a random roller coaster, or a dam, or some municipal building. The postcards started when I was little. As I was growing up, I rarely visited him in Forks, even he realized there wasn't much for a kid to do there, so once a year we'd take a road trip and go some place awesome: Disneyland, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Las Vegas—well, maybe Las Vegas was a mistake, as he spent a lot of time covering my ten year old eyes when we'd stumble upon something he didn't think was appropriate for a kid to see—but all in all, we had fun.

Sometime during our trip, he'd sneak out and buy a stack of postcards. They could be pictures of just about anything, the only requirement was that they had to say "Wish you were here" somewhere on the card. Then, he'd mail them to me throughout the year to remind me of our time together.

It was hard to think I'd never get another.

After bouncing around a bit, Renee and I finally settled in Phoenix, Arizona. I spent fourth grade through high school there. I worked hard and did well, so when I graduated I elected to attend a university nearer to Charlie than to Renee. After all, Renee had started following the local minor league's baseball team and had fallen in love with and married one of the players, Phil Dwyer. She had finally found her bliss. We certainly proved the adage _two's company, three's a crowd_, and I was the third that made the crowd in this arrangement. It was better that I left them to their lives. I needed to go find my own.

Phil was picked up by the Hanshin Tigers, a team in Japan of all places, and there he and mom had lived for the last few years and probably would for the next few. Phil was still holding on to the dream that a stateside team would tap him, but that hadn't happened, yet. Mom had invited me to come to Japan to live with them, and if I was more intrepid I'd probably gone but I'm not, so I hadn't.

Then Charlie died.

After all the insurance and stuff came through, I was surprised at what Charlie had left me. Though not a fortune, it was more than I thought it would be. I realized that if I was careful, I could live off of it for a good while. I could stay in Forks until inspiration or desperation made me do something else. In reality, if I found a job-which wasn't easy in this podunk town-I could stretch it further. As it happened, luck was on my side.

I was at the Thriftway picking up some groceries when I ran into Shirley Cope. Shirley was the secretary up at Forks High and she was involved in the Neighborhood Watch (Paint Dry) program in Forks. (I added the parenthetical, by the way. Nothing happens in Forks, so why there has to be a Neighborhood Watch program, I will never know.) Anyway, Shirley was gung-ho about the thing, so she had had some dealings with my dad, who had been the Chief of Police.

Shirley was really nice to me after dad moved on and I moved in. She brought me a green jello salad. You know the one: green jello with canned pineapple chunks and cottage cheese? It's a staple among neighborhood watchers and school secretaries, I guess. But anyway, she brought the salad on a condolence call and then stayed to condole me. Really, she didn't have to come at all never the less, to visit. I didn't know what to say to her but I soon learned a better name for the Neighborhood Watch (Paint Dry) would have been Neighborhood Watch (Other People's Business.) That lady pumped me so hard for information, I felt like a plunger on a frat house's chili night. So, I wasn't really jumping up and down with delight when I bumped into her at the grocery, as you can imagine.

"Why, Bella Swan. How are you doing, deary?" She patted me on the arm as though I was five years old.

"Just fine, Mrs. Cope." I smiled weakly and tried to edge around her but damn if she didn't have her cart blocking my escape route.

"Are you settling in okay?"

"I am, yes. Thank you." I was debating making a strategic retreat but was afraid that would be rude.

"So, what do you plan to do now that you're settled? You have to do something or you'll go batty."

Surprisingly, she did have a point. "I'm looking for a job." And I had thought about it, sort of.

"A job? Of course! You know what? My sister runs 'Lavern's New and Used Books and Coffee Shoppe' on Bogachiel Way, right across from the hospital. She just got one of those fancy coffee machines and was telling me she could use a hand. Why don't you go over there and talk to her? Tell her I sent you."

"Gee thanks, Mrs. Cope. That's great." It really was great. I'd worked as a barista in my college days. I mean, really. Seattle? Starbucks? UDub? I think it's a degree requirement or something.

So, that's how I got my gig working at Laverne's. She was delighted that I knew how to make "those fancy coffee" drinks and I have to admit, I had sort of missed the hiss of a milk steamer, so it was a match made in heaven. She also picked my brain about the store. Since she was near the hospital, there should have been a lot more traffic through her store, but she wasn't getting it. I made a few suggestions about comfortable seating and good lighting and really, the store started to work. Before I knew it, I was making homemade goodies to sell alongside the lattes and cappuccinos, probably in violation of all the state health codes, but it was going well, kept me busy, and I found I was beginning to be happy again.

I even started to change the relentless bachelor décor my father had left behind him. I took down the plaid curtains, covered the plaid sofa, and rolled up the plaid carpet. I was beginning to figure out that my dad, adorned in his plaid shirts, probably liked to play the chameleon in his house.

I did a lot of wall painting and I compulsively watched HGTV on my dad's humongous flat-screen, his one solitary indulgence during his lifetime. Though it seemed sort of disrespectful, I also discovered Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy looked exceptionally fine on that monster as well. I'm sure dad was rolling over in his grave.

Whoever would have believed I'd find contentment in Forks?

As things started settling into a comfortable routine, I began to notice I was getting forgetful. I'd put my hair brush down and then couldn't find it later on when I looked for it, only to discover I had set it down in another room where I didn't remember using it. I'd be at work watching a storm roll in and then realize that I'd left my bedroom window wide open, but after making a quick trip back home found I had closed it after all.

I didn't think too much about it until I started having very vivid dreams. I couldn't remember them, but I'd wake up knowing something intense had happened while I was in dreamland. Then, I'd begin to remember bits and pieces; a feather light touch moving a strand of my hair off my face, an amazing scent lingering in the room, a cool breath brushing my cheek. It was nothing concrete, certainly not like my typical dreams—those usually consisted of forgetting to put on my jeans as I rushed to take a final I'd forgotten about. No, these dreams were foggy glimpses of something that drew me in, something that I knew I wanted—even needed—but for the life of me, I couldn't name. I would wake up in the morning feeling as though I hadn't slept a bit with a yearning for something else, something unknown.

I'd started making myself a large Americano with four shots of espresso first thing in the morning when I'd get to work to combat the wooly-headed feeling I was beginning to constantly have from my lack of restful sleep. I was in the middle of doing that when someone cleared his voice behind me and said, "Excuse me, Miss, but could I trouble you for a small, black?"

Just his voice sent chills down my back and it struck a chord of memory that left me groping as I tried to place it. I turned around, forgetting to plaster on my neutral barista smile in my stupor, only to see the most handsome man surely God had ever created leaning against the counter. I literally couldn't breathe. He was tall, with wild dark auburn hair. He was very fair, with chiseled features and the most amazing golden eyes I had ever seen. His inquiring look turned to one of amusement but its intensity didn't lessen. He just waited me out until I could finally grasp the edges of reality and remember what I was supposed to be doing, where I was supposed to be, and quite possibly even what planet I was on.

He held my gaze as I gawked at him until my boss' voice brought me back to my surroundings, "Why, Edward Cullen! I thought that was you. What brings you back to Forks?"

**AN: The quotations at the headings of each chapter are taken from ****_Touching Spirit Bear _****by Ben Mikaelsen, Harper-Collins Publishers, 2001.**

**AN: No copyright infringement is intended and no ownership of the Twilight Saga is implied. **


	2. Fascination

"**_Make your time here…a celebration."_**

**Chapter Two: Fascination**

Laverne's shrill voice made me jump and reminded me that I had a job to do. So, while she spoke to this Edward Cullen hottie, I turned to the coffee machine to make his small black. You can believe I was listening to their conversation as hard as I could. I think I even grew ears on the back of my head.

"Hello, Mrs. Crowley, how's Tyler doing?" Though I had yet to meet him, I knew Tyler was Laverne's son.

"Oh, he's doing great, Edward. He graduated from college last month and is working as a financial adviser down in Eugene. He and Lauren—you remember Lauren Mallory? She was a cheerleader at Forks High?—they are getting married in July. Childhood sweethearts, you'll remember." She smiled proudly as she spoke about her son.

My brain was busily sorting and storing the information I was gleaning. Evidently Tyler and Edward had gone to school together here in Forks, because I knew that's where Laverne's kids had gone. That would make Edward about my age. And evidently, Edward had been away for a while because Laverne was surprised to see him. Perhaps that meant he didn't live here any longer. That caused me a pang for some reason.

"So Edward, how is your family? We really miss your father around here. He was such a wonderful doctor."

"Thank you, they are all well. My father is still practicing. I doubt he'll ever quit."

"And your mother?"

"She's well; still happy working on housing renovations."

"That's wonderful to hear. So, what brings you to Forks after all this time? It must have been four or five years since you moved."

"I came here on some family business."

"Oh, that's right; your folks still own the old Meyerson place off the 101, don't they?"

"Yes, they do. My mother says she would like to move back one day."

"I hope that's soon! The Cullen family added so much to our little community. But I suppose it would only be your parents as I'm sure by now you and all your brothers and sisters have gone their own ways."

As my hands moved automatically, my brain was still cataloging all this information. So, Edward's dad was a doctor and his mother was in the building industry? He had a bunch of siblings, probably older, as Laverne was speculating they had all moved out. They owned a place in town off the main highway. Edward was here on business. Got it. Damn, I'm good. Maybe I should go into business as a private detective or spymaster if this barista shtick gets old.

I finished pouring his coffee by that time and returned to the counter. He looked away from Laverne as I handed him his cup. That intense gaze was back as he took it from my hand, slightly grazing my fingers with his as he did. I had never believed people when I heard them describe how sparks flew when they'd touch that special someone. I had always chalked that up to static electricity or perhaps an over-active imagination. But now I knew what they meant. A jittery fire seemed to shoot through my hand, up my arm and explode in the region of my heart.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to savor the sensation because my hand jerked in an involuntary response and I spilled hot coffee all over Edward Cullen's hand, my hand, and the counter. I'm such a klutz.

"I'm so sorry!" I grabbed a rag and tried to dab at his hand. I knew I'd scalded him because, damn it, I'd scalded myself and my own hand was already throbbing. One hundred seventy degrees of liquid java does not agree with human flesh, let me say.

Laverne, squawked and said, "Let me run and get the first aid kit. I'll be right back." She rushed back to her office cubby.

Edward placed his free hand on mine and said, "No, it's okay. Don't worry about me, take care of yourself. You're hurt."

"No, I'm fine. Occupational hazard. I'm used to it."

He pulled his hand away and so I mopped at the spilled coffee on the counter. I was shocked when he took my elbow, led me over to the sink, and put my scalded hand under the flow of cold water tap.

"That should feel better."

His nearness was doing weird things to my intelligence, as well as some of my other parts. All I could do was mutter thanks and groan a little. I hope he thought I was moaning because the cool water made my hand feel better, but it was really a reaction to feeling his body pressed against mine as he held my hand under the water. But there was a part of me that felt a little put out. Here I was getting first aid treatment and he wasn't. That wasn't right. So, I took his hand in mine and pulled it under the running water, as well.

He rumbled—yes, it was a rumble, I could feel it against my back.

"Tell me, are you typically this stubborn?" He sounded amused.

"Hah! That's the pot calling the kettle black. I would say in this case we were equally pig-headed."

He chuckled. I could feel the vibrations of that, too. I was wondering how long I could get away with pretending to give and receive first aid like this? Maybe an hour? Two? But then, that would really run Laverne's water bill up and I didn't think she'd be happy with that. Anyway, at that moment the lady herself arrived with the first aid kit and I reluctantly shut off the water as Edward stepped away from the sink.

"I hope you both are okay. I was looking in this thing and there's really nothing in it for burns, except for antibiotic ointment." She was digging around in a white, plastic box that had a red cross emblazoned on the lid.

"I believe the prescribed treatment for burns is cool water, an application of antibiotic cream, and then covering it with a light gauze bandage if it blisters. Here, let me help you."

Edward took the tube from Laverne and, after taking my hand again, began to apply the ointment. His hands were still cold from the water, but even so, those hot fires were shooting up my arm once more. I couldn't understand it. He was attractive for sure, but why would I react in such an off-the-charts physical way? It had never happened to me before. I usually wasn't so flighty and impressionable.

But, damn! Can you imagine what sex would be like with this guy? Holy macaroni!

Okay. That was out of line. I needed to get my head out of the gutter, although I was surprised that was where it happened to be lolling. This was so unlike me. I mean, the guy is right here, smoothing ointment onto my hand with my boss watching our every move. This was not the time to be thinking about sex, Isabella Marie!

The bell above the door jingled letting us know another customer had arrived. Laverne went to greet her leaving Edward to my care, or vice versa, as it seemed to be in this case.

"There," he said as he screwed the cap back on the tube, "you should be good as new."

"How about you?" I asked.

"Look, I didn't take the brunt of it. My hand is not even red." He held it out to me and it was true, there wasn't a sign of redness or impending blister.

"That's good. I'd hate to be known around town for maiming my customers. Can I get you that coffee now? My treat—it's the least I can do."

"No, that's all right." He smiled and I do believe I was dazzled.

"Really, I feel so badly about it. Let me get you another and a homemade chocolate cookie, as well."

"Homemade you say?"

"Yes. They were actually made in my home, so therefore they're really, truly, honestly home made." I was already reaching for the plate.

"It sounds good but perhaps I'll take a rain check on that."

"A rain check? You know, it rains all the time here." I felt I needed to warn him. If he decided to wait for a sunny day to cash it in, he may have to wait forever.

"Yes. I remember that too well."

"You used to live here?"

"I did. For about four years. All of high school."

"Ah." I really was such a witty conversationalist.

My social awkwardness didn't seem to matter, though. He went on to ask, "You didn't go to school here, did you? I'd remember if you had."

"No. I actually just came here from Seattle, but I was born here. I moved away when I was very young and just recently came back for good—or for a good while, at least."

"Well, then maybe we'll be seeing each other around. By the way, I'm Edward Cullen." He held out his hand. Again, his hand was still freezing from the after-effects of the cold water.

"I'm Bella Swan."

His expression changed from open friendliness to thoughtful musing.

"Bella Swan? Are you related to Charlie Swan?"

That question was like a bucket of ice-water on my libido and the barely healed cracks in my heart started to bleed again. "Uh, yes. He was my dad."

I still couldn't talk about Charlie without tearing up. And since I have the worst poker face on the planet, I am sure Edward could tell. I was making such a great impression on this dude. So far I had shown him I was a clumsy, awkward, emotional mess. He still held my hand, covered it with his other one, and the look of utter compassion he was giving me embraced me like a warm hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Bella. Charlie was a great man."

I choked out a, "Thank you," and withdrew my hand from his, determined to salvage this cluster fuck. Getting a grip on myself, I managed to ask, "At least let me try to make up for this debacle? You won't take another coffee or one of my killer cookies but isn't there something I can do?"

"Actually, there is."

I smiled, relieved that he would let me do something for him and nodded my head encouragingly.

"You could give me your number?" He actually looked sheepish as he asked, as though it was the worst pick up line ever.

And really, it was. I just added to my awkwardness by snorting back a chuckle, my eyes probably echoing my glee. "Sure." I tore a sheet off the order pad next to the cash register and quickly wrote my name and cell phone number down on it.

As I handed it to him, I said, "You plan on having your lawyer contact me or something?"

Taking the paper, he glanced down at it and with what almost seemed to be a bashful smile, replied, "Or something."

He pocketed the note and giving me a wave, left the store without browsing or stopping anywhere else. That was strange. Why did he come in here in the first place, if not for books? Just for the coffee? Maybe I had ruined his desire for it with my clumsy goofiness.

Shrugging, I got back to work and focused on my job, but I have to admit, he was always at the back of my mind from that point onward. There was something about him that mesmerized me. Maybe he was going to be someone special in my life?

Or, maybe I was just lonely.

* * *

He didn't call me that day.

He didn't call me the next.

By the third day, I was cussing at myself for not getting his number, and then cussing at myself for being hung up on him based on a two second interaction. I remember feeling this way when I was in middle school pretty clearly. To say the least, I was completely disgusted with my adolescent behavior.

However now when I dreamed at night, I had a face to my dreams. It was Edward Cullen who brushed my hair away from my forehead, and Edward Cullen's sweet breath I felt across my cheek. It was Edward who sat on my bed, and Edward who whispered sweet songs to me. It was Edward, Edward, Edward.

When I'd wake, I knew I was crazy, crazy, crazy.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to stay in this little town where there wasn't anything more mentally stimulating for me than to fantasize about this drop dead gorgeous guy. Maybe I ought to start putting my resume out there again and try to get a job in a city where there was more than just rain and trees to look at and mysterious strangers to think about.

To start with, I was going to try to put Edward out of my mind completely.

So of course, I just started thinking about him more.

Then, I decided if I hadn't heard from him by the end of the week, I was going to track him down and confront him with…what? He hadn't promised me anything. Maybe he just was teasing me, getting my phone number just to lead me on. I really needed to get a hold of my crazy self.

But in the end, I didn't have to do any of that. He called me on the third afternoon.

"Hello, Bella, this is Edward Cullen. We met earlier this week?"

As if I didn't know who he was before I even answered my cell. No one called me much and the ones who did were already on my contact list. When I saw that strange number, my heart stopped beating and I could barely get out a feeble, "Hello?"

I cleared my throat, hoping to sound nonchalant. "Oh yes, I remember you, Edward. Whe… uh, how have you been?" I almost said where. Yep. Still an idiot.

"I have been good, Bella. How about you?"

"Just fine, thank you."

"I hope I am not too late to ask, but I was wondering if I could take you out for dinner tonight?"

"Tonight?" I looked at the clock. It was four thirty. He sure was waiting until the last minute to ask me.

"I know. It's much too late to be asking for tonight but I find I simply can't wait to see you another day."

Blink.

"Really?" My voice was suddenly so high pitched I am sure dolphins were answering me back off of First Beach.

"Really. Does that make me sound a little over eager?"

"Actually, it doesn't. Over eager would have been you leaving the book store the other day, going out to your car and calling me then."

He laughed. "Would you believe me if I told you I sat there in the parking lot and stared at my phone for ten minutes talking myself out of doing that very thing?"

"Huh. I'm not sure. You managed to wait this long."

"I did only because my sister insisted I wait three days before calling you. She said that was the acceptable amount of time and if I called sooner, you would think I was a weirdo or something."

"I have to confess that I have been thinking that if I didn't hear from you by the end of this week, I was going to hunt you down and demand…well, I was never sure what I was going to demand, but it was going to be something demanding."

"Demanding, eh?"

"Yes, awfully demanding. You wouldn't have known what hit you when I made my demanding demand."

"Then, I am glad I met your deadline. I'd hate to have you hit me with an awful demand."

"Humph. Well, now you know better."

"Yes. I do. So, will you?" he asked. I could hear the warm humor in his voice.

"Will I what?"

"Go out with me tonight."

"You seem to be turning the tables on me. Is that a demand?"

"No. It's a request, a plea. My mother taught me to be a gentleman. Gentlemen only demand honor, not a lady's favor."

"Well, then Mr. Gentleman Cullen, I would be delighted to go out with you for dinner tonight."

"Wonderful. And thank you. Can I pick you up at six?"

I was still at work and wouldn't be getting off until five. It was a five minute trip home and then I needed to get ready, and that was probably going to take at least an hour.

"Uhm. Where are you taking me?"

"I was thinking of driving into Port Angeles to the Bella Italia. Do you like Italian?"

"I do, thank you, but could you pick me up at six thirty? I have to get ready."

"Yes. Six-thirty it is."

"Okay. See you then. Goodbye."

After I hung up the phone, I realized I hadn't given him my address. I guess he'd call me back when he realized that. Meanwhile, I had a lot to finish at work before I could leave, so I got busy with that and was glad to get out of the door right on the dot of five. I actually broke the speed limit getting home and took my porch steps two at a time in my rush to get ready.

My heart thumping, I turned the shower on to get the water warmed up and then stood in front of my closet for five useless minutes trying to figure out what to wear. I still hadn't made up my mind when I finally got in the shower to quickly take care of that business.

Ten minutes later, I was back in front of my closet. I finally pulled out the dress I wore to my college graduation. It was dark blue and I thought color contrasted well with my fair skin and dark hair. It was a simple cut, hitting a few inches above the knee and was sleeveless. It was a pretty dress and I felt pretty in it. I just hoped my date thought the same. I had strappy sandals that went with it which meant I didn't have to wear panty hose, thank God. I hated wrestling those things on.

I smoothed on some lightly scented lotion and dried my hair so that it fell in smooth waves down my back. I have always been a great believer that less is more for makeup, so it didn't take me long to get that on. When I was done, I looked in the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door and was fairly happy with what I saw. I grabbed a cardigan in case I got cold, stuffed my wallet and other essentials in a purse that matched my shoes, and decided I was good to go.

I glanced at the clock and saw it was twenty-nine after six and thought I did well getting ready in the short time I had. Then, it crossed my mind that it was weird that Edward hadn't called me for directions to my house. I'd been so busy, I didn't think about it. Maybe he was running late.

But exactly as the sweep hand on the kitchen clock passed six-thirty, there was a knock on my door. Huh. Edward must have known where I lived. But then I remembered that this town was so small that probably everyone knew where everyone else lived and, of course, the kids at the high school probably were very familiar with the location of the Chief of Police's house. Edward had been a teen here after all.

I opened the door and forgot to breathe again. I don't know how it managed to escape my mind how stunning he was. It was sort of unnatural, just like forgetting to breathe—which reminded me that I was suffocating a bit, so I did this gaspy, strangled thing as I caught my breath. Smooth.

He smiled and said, "Good evening, Bella. You look beautiful."

I could feel my cheeks bloom in a self-conscious blush. Sighing, I realized that I may as well give up trying to be chic. It seemed the more I tried, the more awkward I got, so I decided I was just not going to try any more.

"Thanks. Come on in for a moment while I get my things."

He took a few steps into the foyer, while I got my purse and sweater. When I turned around, I could tell that he was appreciative of the effort I put into my outfit and so, I thought he wouldn't object to what I had decided to do. Taking the bull by the horns, I did the only thing I could think of to get through this night with a semblance of ease and was to get rid of the elephant in the room.

I walked up to him and said, "Before we go, I just want to try one thing."

We were standing toe to toe. I traced my hands up his arms to his shoulders, then I stood on my toes, and kissed him full on the lips.

I must have surprised him because I heard him inhale and he was still as stone for a moment, then he started to respond to me.

Boy, did he ever!

Suddenly, I was being swept off my feet and carried into the living room. He sat in the large overstuffed chair and held me on his lap. His arms were around me and his lips were upon me. They caressed my mouth, my jaw, my eyes, my cheeks. He ran his nose along my brow and whispered, "Bella, I can hardly contain myself."

I knew how he felt. My own containment had been breached about the same time I turned around and saw him leaning against the counter in the coffee shop. I already had known that his touch shot fire through me, and now I discovered that his kisses turned my insides into molten lava. The world around me dissolved away and all there was this man holding me and kissing me. For the first time in my life I felt that the world made sense and what made it sensible was this man, this Edward Cullen.

I could have died right then and had been perfectly satisfied, blissed out beyond belief; although, I'm sure Edward would have been a little wigged out to suddenly discover he had a dead woman in his arms.

It was only later did I realize my silly musings that evening were closer to truth than to hyperbole.

**AN: In this universe, Bella never left Phoenix to go live with Charlie her junior year in high school. She stayed with Renee until she graduated from high school but went to university in Seattle. During her four years in college, she did visit Forks quite often so the town and the people were familiar to her but the Cullens had already moved from Forks so their paths, more importantly hers and Edward's, never crossed until now. At this point, she knows nothing about vampires or werewolves except what she read about in literature. She didn't know they were real. She's going to find out.**


	3. Falling

The Bear

Chapter 3: Falling

"_The world was beautiful."_

Before I could dissolve into a huge puddle of lust right there in his lap, Edward pulled away and gazed fiercely into my eyes. He swallowed, and I could see his jaw clench as though he needed to garner all the self-control he had. Apparently, he was on the same page as I was, and to be honest, I was reeling. I'd kissed a few guys in my life, but it was never anything like this. Never. I doubt there were any words to accurately describe it. I was tingly and on fire and, man, I wanted more.

As articulate as ever, all I could manage to say was an amazed, "Wow!"

"My sentiments exactly, Miss Swan." When Edward laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkled; his whole face was taken over by his grin. I got lost in his smile, and I was sure I sat there awestruck until he added, his voice as soft as a feather, "I've a feeling that if we don't go now, we'll never get to the restaurant."

"Oh." I scrambled off his lap blushing every shade of red in Martha Stewart's paint palette as I tried to smooth my hair. How did we end up like this? I just meant to kiss him, get the first date jitters out of the way so it wouldn't be looming over us the whole evening, and all of the sudden I was to the point of ripping off my clothes and offering myself to him, body and soul. I remembered a little doggerel I'd picked up during my less-than-formal education: "_She offered her honor, he honored her offer, and all the night long he was on her and off her."_

I giggled both at my whacky mind and at how we managed to break the ice. Maybe we'd be breaking more ice later on? That thought made me giddy.

Edward gallantly escorted me to his car, his hand burning a hole in the small of my back, and helped me into the passenger's seat. He skillfully wove his way through my small town and soon, we were on the highway headed to Port Angeles.

"What time is our reservation?"

He glanced at the clock on the dash. "In about forty-five minutes."

My eyes widened. On a good day, it was more than an hour's drive from Forks to Port Angeles. Surely we didn't have enough time, but in about ten seconds I understood. Edward drove like a maniac. The trees flew by the windows on either side of the car until they looked like tooth picks, and the engine of his fancy car growled as he moved through the gears. I was white-knuckling the seat, but when he expertly took a curve like a bat out of hell I must have squeaked.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking over at me with concern.

"Uhm, well, do you always drive this fast?"

He immediately slowed down. "Yes, I'm afraid so," he admitted. He sounded a little sheepish.

"I bet my father loved you." My dad had been a stickler about the speed limits. He had said it came from peeling one too many drivers from the road after they had had a run in with physics and a lumber truck. He had done his best during his lifetime to limit those tragedies.

"Your father never caught me at it."

"Really?" My eyebrows must have climbed into my hairline.

"Yes." He tapped his temple and winked at me. "It seems I have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing when a cop is around."

"Ah. You're a lucky man. I have the opposite of a sixth sense. In fact, I follow all the rules because if anyone would be caught breaking them, it would be me."

"Maybe I can help with that." He laughed, but I did notice he kept the car at a more reasonable speed. I was grateful just the same.

"So how do you like Forks?" he asked. I guessed the time for small talk was here. I hoped I didn't stick my foot in my mouth. He'd been pretty forgiving of my maladroitness so far, but I didn't want to push my luck and send him running.

"Forks is great. I used to visit my dad pretty frequently while I was going to college. I got to know the town and the people pretty well."

"There's not that much to know."

"That's true, but I've never lived in a small town before. I find I like the sense of community here. When I lived in Phoenix, or even Seattle, I was just small speck on the radar. It was easy to get lost in the shuffle. Here it's like _Cheers_—'where everyone knows your name'."

"_Cheers_?"

"An old sit com about a bar in Boston. Did you ever see it?"

"I believe I did catch an episode or two."

"Forks is like that. Everyone knew my dad and everyone knows me because of him. It gives me a sense of belonging. I don't think I ever felt that way about a place before. It feels like home to me."

"That's understandable."

"Does any place feel like that for you?" I asked.

I was surprised at the flash of sadness on his face at my innocuous question. He answered, "Not in a long time, I guess. I suppose the last place I felt like that about was Chicago, where I was born. Since then, I've realized that it isn't a place that makes me feel at home, it's the people I'm with."

"Oh, and that would be your family, I guess?"

"Yes, my adoptive family."

"Adoptive?"

"I was adopted a long time ago by Carlisle Cullen. My biological parents died when I was pretty young. Carlisle was their treating physician and since I was stricken as well, he took me in to provide the care I needed."

I tried really hard not to gasp but, honestly, what in the world happened to his parents?

"_Both_ of your parents?"

At his nod, I went on, "I'm so sorry, Edward. How could that happen this day and age?" My heart went out to the poor guy. I knew what it was like to lose one parent. I couldn't imagine losing both of them.

"Surprisingly, influenza still causes people to die. My folks were a part of those statistics and I was almost among them as well. Carlisle was able to cure me, but it was hard."

He sounded so bleak as he spoke, my heart filled with compassion. I put my hand on his as it rested on the gear shift and was surprised at how cool he felt, but maybe talking about these things lowered his blood pressure or something. He turned his hand over and grasped mine. I smiled at him as he gazed at me.

"As I said, it was a long time ago. I'm okay now." His smile was sweet and my heart fluttered once again in response. My mind started to wander again. Didn't he have siblings? I remembered Laverne mentioning them.

"But don't you have several brothers and sisters?"

"I do now, but I didn't always. Shortly after Carlisle adopted me, he married Esme. They decided to take in older kids like me who needed a home, and that's how I got two brothers and two sisters."

"Your parents must be pretty wonderful to do that."

"Yeah, they're pretty great and I'm very lucky. So, how about you? Tell me about your family."

"I'm an only child. My folks split up a few months after I was born. That's when I left Forks originally. My mother got remarried a few years ago, but I don't think siblings are in the cards."

"Maybe you'll marry into a big family and then you'll see what it's like."

For such an off-hand remark, I sure reacted to it. My heart started doing that trippy thing it had begun to do when I was around him. He had to change gears, so he simply moved the gear-shift while still holding my hand. His long fingers made it easy for him and I was glad not to have let go. Holding his hand was surprisingly comforting for me, like some part of me felt completed. Weird.

"I-I never thought I'd ever get married." I was stuttering now?

"No? Why not?"

I shrugged. "I just don't seem to be the type. Some girls dream of getting married from the moment they get their first Bridal Barbie, but not me. It's probably because I had never been around married couples growing up, so it wasn't normal for me."

"Don't you think it would be good to share your life with someone?"

"Isn't that what friends are for?"

"I think the intimacy of a married couple is hard to duplicate."

"Or the hell of it, either." I was a cynic when it came to the subject. I guess I'd gotten that from my dad.

"Some marriages are like heaven, though. Why couldn't yours be like that?"

"I don't know, for sure. I just can't imagine it." I shrugged again. "Maybe one day?"

He didn't say anything else, just drove on, smiling as he scanned the road ahead.

"Why are you back in Forks?" I asked. I had so many questions.

"I'm here on family business." He glanced at me and then back at the road. "I'm glad it worked out this way."

"I am, too." I smiled. Meeting him had been the highlight of Forks, that's for sure. "How long do you think you'll be here?"

"I'm not sure. Things look undecided at the moment." Again, he didn't look at me, just smiled at the road ahead, but did I feel him squeeze my hand a little?

"Is your family business what you do for a living?"

"Actually, I suppose you could say it is my vocation—it's what I want to do with my life—but I support myself by investments. What I do with the family business doesn't pay well." He chuckled as though what he said was funny but he didn't enlighten me as to the joke.

"What is it your family does?"

"We're a specialized philanthropic medical research firm."

"Specialized?"

"Yeah. Medicine seems to have become more and more focused these days. The product we're developing will be life saving for some, but I doubt that most people would ever know there was a need for it."

"That sounds pretty noble, to be saving lives."

"Not noble; an obligation."

"What is it that you're developing?"

"A substitute for hemoglobin."

"You mean a substitute for blood?"

"Yes, but only for one specific purpose and for only a comparatively small number of individuals. Most people wouldn't ever be aware of its existence."

"That's still an amazing accomplishment."

"Thank you. My father is quite a brilliant man."

"So, you work in a lab?"

"Not exactly. I suppose you could say I am a field researcher."

"What do you research?"

"I look for individuals who would benefit by our product."

"Wouldn't they just know? I mean, wouldn't their doctors know about the synthetic blood?"

He chuckled. "No. In fact, almost all potential users aren't even aware they have a need for it."

"And it's your job to convince them?"

"Exactly." He grinned. "So, what made you decide to become a barista?" It was his turn to ask the questions, now.

"That's a long story, but basically it boiled down to pushing coffee being the only job opening in this town, and beggars can't be choosers and all that."

"You don't enjoy it?"

"Actually, I do, but it isn't a career, you know? I'd like to find something like you have that I could call my vocation, but so far, no luck."

"What did you study in school?"

"You'll laugh."

"No, I won't. Really, what did you study?"

"Comparative Literature."

"So, why should I laugh at that?

"Because all it means I'm good for, even with the sheepskin hanging on the wall, is steaming milk and grinding beans."

"Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you could do anything you put your mind to. What convinced you to study it in the first place?"

"You mean, what deluded dream made me think majoring in literature would pave my path someday?"

"No. I have to admit that I haven't known you long, but what I do know is that you are passionate. You wouldn't commit yourself to something that you weren't ardent about. I believe you must have been enthusiastic about the written word in some way in order to spend the last few years of your life studying it. So, what was it?"

He had me. He didn't know it even, but he had me as surely as Forks had trees. "I like to read?" My voice wavered.

"Because…?" he wasn't going to let this go. No one had ever understood my fervor for literature before and I didn't really expect him to now. My mind and heart had always thrilled over a well written sentence or paragraph. In fact, I had a notebook filled with sentences and phrases I'd stumbled across here and there that resonated with me for one reason or another. I had no choice now but to show him what a complete nerd I was.

"Because…well, because I love the transformative power of the written word. It stirs souls, lifts spirits, and broadens horizons for years, even centuries, after it is written. I believe it is man's most amazing and definitive accomplishment. It surprises me that more people don't get that. I spent four years in a hazy bliss high on words and ideas and...well, you get the idea. It was a rude awakening to discover that my degree and two and a half bucks would only buy me a cup of coffee at Starbuck's when I was done." I was trying hard not to sound whiny but I have to admit, some cheese would have gone good right about now.

"So, why can't that be your vocation?"

"What? Something like teaching literature? Passing on the fire?" I shrugged. "I've never been inclined that way. I think teachers have to be inordinately patient and that's never been a particular strength of mine."

"How about writing about it?"

"I suppose I could do that if someone was willing to pay me for it, but since I've only a bachelor's degree, no one is interested."

"You could go back to school."

I sighed. Furthering my education would cost more money than I was willing to invest at the moment. I was afraid of becoming destitute. "Yeah, I've thought of that. Maybe one day."

"That seems to be your refrain, '_maybe one day_.' When will you know that day has come?" His teasing smile softened his words.

"That's a good question." I thought for a moment.

"Actually, I just got settled here. I think I'd like to give it a year before I make any decisions. I need to get my bearings after…" I swallowed in an attempt to keep my grief for my dad locked up for the night. I hoped Edward understood.

He squeezed my hand again just as we pulled into Port Angeles and in a few minutes we were being ushered into our seats at the Bella Italia. I noticed how the waitress was checking Edward out. She ignored me entirely and obviously started to salivate over him.

But really? What sort of girl would blatantly flirt with a guy who was out on a date with another woman? A slut-bucket would, that's who. She should be glad I wouldn't be in charge of her tip tonight, that's for sure.

I studiously disregarded the s-b, but I also gleefully noticed that Edward didn't even have to try. He was completely focused on me. I felt like jumping on my chair, pumping my fists, and shouting "in your face, skankasaurus!" but, although I was no longer trying to be chic, I certainly didn't need to be an immature dweeb, either.

So, Edward and I talked about music over a shared _caprese_ salad. I honestly think I had more than he did, it was so good. For dinner, I had Bella Italia's famous mushroom ravioli and he had a very rare steak. Actually, I think the cow was still mooing it was so rare, but he seemed to enjoy it, or what he ate of it. For a guy, he didn't have that big of an appetite. Meanwhile, I was semi-successfully trying to tone down my lumberjack tendencies when good food was around.

We spent our meal in quiet conversation. I tried not to gawk at him, but it was hard. When I thought too much about how dazzling he was, I'd forget what I was saying and, after all, the point of this date was to prove I wasn't a moron. I wasn't so sure how well I was accomplishing that.

As we finished our meal, Edward put his coffee mug down and took my hand. At his electric touch, my heart, my spirit soared so high and so far. Oh, I was certainly falling hard for this man. I feared I'd never be able to find my footing again, but I wasn't that sure I wanted to. I hoped I didn't break my heart on him.

After dinner, we took an unhurried walk along the darkened street, looking into store windows at the merchandise displayed there. Over the evening, we had found we had a lot in common. I was delighted to discover he knew a lot about my literary passion, and we spent time trading our opinions on various writers. We considered several authors: Hemingway—we both loved the Ernest; Austen—I swooned over her, but he had the nerve to characterize her work as nineteenth century chic-lit; Faulkner—he thought the man was brilliant, whereas I thought he was a long-winded bore. I needled him about the hypocrisy of loving both Faulkner and Hemingway, as they were polar opposites in style. He just asserted he was a man of broad and discerning tastes, but he said it in such a superior tone and with such a sarcastic smirk, I burst out laughing. I hadn't had so much fun talking about books since I left school, maybe not even then.

At the top of the street, there was a little park with wrought iron benches scattered among the leafy trees and flowering bushes. It was a beautiful night and the stars glimmered in the sky, peering down through the scattered cloud cover. Edward led me to a bench that overlooked the sleepy town below, and on out into the harbor where a few fishing boats bobbed on the water. The moon shone down and blanketed our world in silvery splendor. I doubt even Cecil B. De Mille could have devised a more romantic setting.

But truly, I hardly noticed it for the company I was with.

Edward put his arm along the back of our bench as we sat and said, "I've had an amazing evening."

"Me, too." I smiled but still blushed like I was on my very first date.

"I suppose I shouldn't ask this now as we still have the ride back to Forks ahead of us, but would you consider going out with me again?"

I was too eager. "Most definitely! Why did you think it was too soon to ask?"

"Because if you didn't want to see me again, I could imagine that trip would seem painfully long."

"As _if_!" I looked at him like he was crazy. I mean, geesh, I fairly molested him before our date even started, and I've hung on his every word since. It had to be clear to him how in awe I was.

He laughed and said, "Again, the feeling is definitely mutual." He wrapped his arm about my shoulders and got that soft look in his eyes that guys get when they are going in for a kiss.

And he did.

And it was great.

No, it was more than great; it was the epitome of greatness. It was the _grea-pitome_ of kisses.

And, I was so lost.

Edward's cool lips caressed mine once, and then he drew back to look at me as though he could eat me up. I reveled in his apparent desire for me. Never had a guy looked at me the way this amazing man was looking at me now. He kissed me again, this time parting his lips. I had the overwhelming urge to taste him, and soon I had no idea what was up and what was down. I was a goner. Shivers raced down my spine as I put my arms around his neck and sighed. Being with him seemed right and good. It truly felt as though my body could join my heart as it soared through those diamonded skies above.

For sure, I couldn't have fallen in love so fast?


	4. Premature

Chapter 4: Premature

_"If the bear wakes too soon in the spring, he will have many regrets."_

After that first date, I don't think my feet touched the ground once. Was love supposed to feel this good? I didn't really know but I wasn't going to question it. A goofy smile was constantly plastered across my face to the point that Laverne asked if I felt okay. I laughed and assured her I was more than fine.

"I bet that Edward Cullen has something to do with that." She smirked. "He's quite a catch."

"Oh?" I said noncommittally. It's not like I'd sought her out to talk about Edward but I couldn't resist finding out what she knew about him. When it came to him, I was as nosy as her sister.

"Every girl at Forks High was mad for him when he lived here but I don't think he looked at any of them more than once, if that. He kept to himself and broke quite a few hearts along the way. I used to chaperone school functions when my kids were going there and I don't think I saw him attend one dance in all those years. Now his brothers and sisters—they never missed a one."

Edward had spoken a little about his siblings. The one he talked the most about was Alice. They were fairly close. I nodded at Laverne, hoping she would continue. I did feel guilty gossiping, but not badly enough to change the subject.

"Yes, those Cullen children are a beautiful bunch. I'm sure they'll have beautiful babies." She sighed as she straightened a shelf of best sellers from about ten years ago. There was a soft smile on her face as though the thought of Cullen babies entranced her.

"Are any of them married?" In the back of my mind, my conscience was wondering if Shirley had any spots open on the Neighborhood Watch. Seems I'd fit right in.

"You know, I don't know if they got married after they left Forks but I imagined they did eventually. I never saw two couples more devoted to each other, unless you considered Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, as well. Yes, there was Rosalie and Emmett and then there was Jasper and Alice. Such lovely couples."

Blink.

Blink.

"Uhm, you mean Edward's siblings were dating each other?" Okay. This was definitely weird and not in a good way.

"Well, yes; but they aren't blood kin, though Dr. and Mrs. Cullen acted as parents to them—foster parents as far as I could tell. In fact, Rosalie and Jasper are twins and are the only blood relatives among them. I think the couples were sweethearts before they joined the Cullen family."

Well, that certainly taught me a lesson. Nose, nose, nose and eventually you'll find something you didn't want to know, Isabella Marie. Fortunately, a customer wandered to my counter about that time so I scuttled over to wait on him and tried to put Laverne's story of Edward's incestuous-but-not-really siblings out of my mind. You can imagine how successful I was at doing that.

The next two weeks passed in a whirlwind. Edward and I saw each other at least once a day, sometimes twice. Depending on his schedule, he'd either come into the bookstore during my lunch break, or would visit me after I was off work. I cooked dinner for him once but I noticed he didn't eat much. When I questioned him, he explained he had a metabolic issue that interfered with his digestion as well as affected his body temperature. I had wondered why he always felt so cool compared to me. He reassured me that he was fine and healthy but simply had to watch what he ate. He said it would be easier if we just skipped worrying about his food. So, we took a lot of walks instead. It didn't matter to me what we did as long as I was with him.

Finally, I had a day off to take care of my routine chores. Edward had some business to see to in the morning and so I had some time to do my cleaning, laundry, and bill paying. I had a uniform for these activities: ratty jeans, a _Rugrats _T-shirt from when I was in middle school and bleach spotted converse sneakers. I pulled my hair up out of my face and got busy on my chores. Quickly, I got the bill paying out of the way in order to get to the other tasks that only required brawn but little brain. While I was cleaning and doing laundry, I could daydream about my guy—my guy with the peculiar family, that is.

I was dusting in the coffee table and saw I had left out my post card collection. The other night, I'd gotten it out and Edward and I had spent several hours going through it as I told him about the various vacations dad and I had gone on together. I had talked a lot about Charlie and it felt good. Edward had been content to sit on the sofa and listen to me blather. Poor Edward! I'm sure he had been bored to tears but he didn't show it. He was always so good to me.

In fact, our times together were magical. Lately, it seemed as though I only went through the motions when we were apart. When we were together, I felt alive. It was as though he dwelt in my every nerve ending and heartbeat. Each time he appeared at my coffee counter or arrived at my door, my heart would jump and I knew I had absolutely no control over my expression. I'm sure it was a cross between an enamored cow and a loopy goldfish. He was tolerant of my idiocy, though—very tolerant. In fact, amazingly, he seemed to be as happy to be with me as I was with him.

Everything about Edward was wonderful except for one thing: he wouldn't do more than kiss me. To make it worse, it was all I could do not to jump his bones. It seemed just a look from those golden eyes melted me into a quivering pile of need. He would kiss me—man, would he kiss me—but he avoided anything more intimate. I was hoping I could change his mind about that and soon. With my past boyfriends, I was the one who usually wanted distance and was used to having to hold them at arm's length. It was frustrating that I finally met someone I desired in that way, only to discover he didn't seem interested in becoming more physically entangled. It was becoming hard to function when I was in his orbit. Sexual frustration was eating me alive.

Besides that, I had a really strange visit from Chief Billy's son, Jacob. Just the day before, I had found him sitting on the front steps of my house when I got home from work. He seemed spooked or maybe that was his natural demeanor. Some people couldn't help being weird. I shook my head as I recalled our strange conversation.

"Jake? How are you?" I was trying to sound welcoming, but truthfully, the glare the guy was giving me made me feel as though I should jump back in my truck and get the heck out of there.

"I'm good." He stood and I remembered how tall he was. I mean, I always knew he was tall but, geesh, now he'd fit right in with an NBA team. I wasn't exactly short but standing next to him made me feel like Thumbelina.

I gripped the straps of my backpack and tried not to cower. "So, what brings you to Forks?"

"You know your dad was like an uncle to me, right?"

"Er, yeah…I guess so."

"So, that makes us sort of like cousins."

"O-okay?" Where in the world was he going with this?

"And cousins look out for each other, right?"

"R-right?" I wasn't sure I wanted this guy looking out for me. I was beginning to feel as though I needed someone to keep an eye on _him_.

"Bella, you've got to be careful of the people you hang around."

Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking. I had been getting ready to invite him inside but I decided that wouldn't be a wise think to do. He was freaking me out. I needed to humor him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Edward Cullen isn't the best friend for you to have."

"_What_?" He was weird and an asshole.

"You've been going out with Edward Cullen and I'm warning you—he's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Jake, sorry to say this, but you're crazy. Edward is the nicest person I've ever known. And besides, whom I spend time with is none of your business." I was getting a little pissed at this weirdo.

"I needed to warn you. If something should happen to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Jake, at least nothing that I don't want. Thank you, I guess, for being concerned but I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Really, Bella, you have no idea of the danger you're in."

"I'm not in any danger. Now, knock it off."

I edged past him and stuck the key in my door's lock, trying to end our conversation and give him the message to get lost. "Thanks for coming. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Bella…" His voice cracked.

I opened my door and turned to face him. I was getting angry. "Really now, stop it. You gave me your warning; your duty is done here."

Because my life sucks sometimes, Edward pulled into my drive-way just at that exact moment. Funny, I hadn't heard him driving up the street. Jake stiffened and glowered as my boyfriend got out of his car and walked up to where we were standing. I was surprised at the hard look Edward was giving Jake in return.

"Jake," he said. He sounded a little short-tempered.

"Edward." Jake was equally brusque.

It seemed as though the pissing contest was on. I needed to end this.

"Jake was just leaving." I stood aside to let Edward in and Jake, finally realizing that there was nothing more he could say, left but not without trying to glare holes into Edward.

"That was weird," I said as I shut the door.

Edward looked questioningly at me.

I walked back to the kitchen, putting my backpack down on the counter. "Seems Jake thinks you're not the best company for me. He told me you were dangerous."

I had expected Edward's reaction to be similar to my own but he was silent. I turned to look at him. "Edward?"

He seemed chastened. "He could be right."

"What do you mean? I've never felt safer than when I'm with you."

Edward hesitated then said, "I'm glad you feel that way, Bella. I would never hurt you or let anything bad happen to you."

I celebrated that by jumping on him, kissing him silly and the heavy mood lightened until Jake's ridiculous warning was forgotten. The rest of the evening was delightful and I had awakened this morning eager to see Edward again. I was just about finished folding my laundry when my phone rang. It was Edward. You could tell because of the swoony grin I had on my face.

"Do you think you can be ready in a half an hour?" Edward asked.

"Well, I may not be ready but you can let yourself in and wait for me, if you don't mind."

"Isn't your door locked?"

"Well...no."

"Bella, you take too many risks with your safety."

"Edward, this is _Forks,_ for goodness sake. Nothing happens here. Ask Mrs. Cope. They could leave all the locks off all the doors around here for all the use they are."

"Bella..." I could hear the frustration in his voice. We'd had this discussion many times in the weeks we had been dating. Edward was overly concerned about my safety, in my opinion. Hearing him talk, you'd think there was a murderer or a thief behind every one of Forks' considerable number of trees.

"Edward really, you worry way too much."

"I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Why?" I mean, really. Why was he so over the top about this?

I was surprised he didn't answer immediately but I was really shocked when he said, "Because I truly care about you, you crazy girl. I really do."

Thump. That was the last beat of my heart for about twenty seconds. Then, it started hammering away in the region of my throat and I could feel flames dancing in my cheeks. I suddenly wanted to squeal and giddily jump up and down on my bed.

But all I could manage to choke out was, "Oh. Wow. Well. Uhm. Well."

Geesh. I needed to say more than that. He may think I didn't like him back. _I didn't like him back?_ Did I just think that? The more I hung around Edward the more like I sounded and felt like a thirteen year old. What was wrong with me?

But evidently, he had no problem with my lapses into immaturity. After all, he_ truly cared about me._ Finally, I managed a brave attempt at being a grown up and I cleared my voice to say, "Thank you, Edward. I really care about you, too."

I swallowed compulsively and hurried on, "Knock when you get here and I'll let you in, okay?"

"Okay. Now, go lock your doors." I could hear the smile in his voice.

We hung up and I couldn't manage to suppress a mild scream and a celebratory Snoopy dance around my room. "He cares about me! He cares about me! No. He _trul_y cares about me!"

I stopped in front of my dresser mirror and looked at my silly expression—and my ratty t-shirt and jeans and messy hair. I couldn't let him see me like this. I needed to move!

I dashed into the shower and scrubbed my body and shampooed my hair. I looked at my razor as it sat in its case in the shower caddy. Should I shave? I ran my hand up my leg and noticed just a tiny bit of stubble. It wouldn't be necessary to shave under normal circumstances but maybe today, it would. Maybe today Edward would stop playing around and we'd finally, finally—oh my god—I hoped we'd finally have sex. I was a smoldering coal underneath all this giddiness and I bet if he let me, I'd prove to him I wasn't a silly thirteen year old. No sir.

So for good luck, I lathered my legs and started to shave. I'd forgotten that I'd just changed blades and was a little too careless with my first stroke and nicked myself on the outside of my thigh pretty good. Shit. It wasn't unusual for klutzy me to do this but still a pain. I got the blood staunched, finished up in the shower and thought no more about it. I had just wrapped my wet hair up in a towel when I heard knocking at my door.

I put on my bathrobe and went down in bare feet to let Edward in. His smile was blinding but when he saw what little I had on it faltered and his happy expression subtly shifted to hunger.

I was thrilled. I could tell he liked me well enough but I wasn't so sure he desired me that much, at least that was the impression his 'hands off' policy had given me. But the look he was giving me now—it was positively indecent.

"Bella," he whispered.

"Hi." I suddenly felt shy. "Please, make yourself comfortable and I'll go upstairs and finish. I'll be down in a few minutes."

He nodded and breathed deeply as I headed for the stairs. I paused on the bottom step and asked, "By the way, how should I dress? Are we going any place in particular?"

"Would you be interested in coming to my house? I've wanted to show it to you."

"Sure! So, no tramping around in the woods today?"

"No. Not today, I don't think."

"Okay. See you in a little bit. The remote's on the coffee table if you want to watch T.V."

I left him to it and quickly ran up to my room. Now, what to wear? I picked up a pair of jeans and was beginning to pull them on when I stopped. The denim was likely to chafe the cut on my leg. I checked it and was glad to see a scab was already forming so I decided to go with a casual sun dress. We had a streak of warm weather lately so I had been taking some of my old Phoenix clothes out of the back of my closet where I normally kept them. The dress was long enough so the cut on my leg wouldn't show.

I checked my reflection in the mirror and was content with what I saw. I quickly dried my hair and threw on my makeup, hoping I looked good enough. I knew I'd never match Edward in the looks department but at least I could do my best. Edward always seemed to be satisfied.

And evidently he was. The hungry look he gave me as I clattered down the stairs when I was ready was gratifying indeed. He walked to the bottom of the staircase, took my hand and brought it to his lips.

"You look lovely." His voice was rough and low and goose bumps rose along my arms just from its timbre.

"Thank you."

"You don't often wear a dress." His eyes drifted from my face down to my legs and back. I know I was blushing.

"Dresses and hiking don't work out so well."

"Then I shall make sure to plan less adventurous dates in the future."

"Oh, I rather enjoy our rambles."

He took my hand and tucked it around the crook of his elbow and said, "We can manage both, I think. Shall we go?"

In a few moments, we were in his car and on our way towards the outskirts of town. I must have driven this way hundreds of times and had never noticed the hidden turn Edward took off of the main road. I was surprised to find we were on a well maintained drive that wound through the woods for quite a ways until it ended in a large, grassy clearing. Set in the center of the clearing was a gorgeous house—a mansion, actually. It brought home to me the difference in our worlds. It was evident Edward came from a privileged and moneyed background whereas my folks were solid middle class. I had known he had money. It showed in his car and the quality of his clothes but seeing this place-a building that my little home could fit inside of three times over—scared me.

Edward parked the car in front of the porch steps and came to open my door and help me out. I smiled hesitantly as I stood looking at the splendor.

"It's okay, Bella. It's just my parent's house. I have something I want to show you."

He led me inside and I was floored at the beauty of the place. The back wall was floor to ceiling windows that looked out over a sloping yard to a river in the distance.I could hear the rushing water through its open windows. It was all glass, dark wood floors, soft white walls, colorful fabrics, and warmth. This was not only a mansion but a home; elegant, yes, but a home just the same.

"It's breathtaking."

"And very peaceful**." **

I slowly turned in a circle as I looked around and saw the stylish but comfortable furnishings. "It's furnished."

"Yes. We keep it in readiness in case we have to come back to the area unexpectedly."

"Are you living here by yourself?"

"There's no one else here at the moment but me."

"Wow, I'm speechless. This looks like something off a Hollywood set."

"Esme is renowned for her designs. I have to admit, she's certainly got a knack."

"I'll say!"

Smiling, Edward took my hand and led me over to a grand piano that stood on a platform in the main room. "This is what I wanted to show you. Would you let me play for you?"

"You play the piano?" Was there anything he couldn't do?

"A little. Here, sit with me." He sat on the bench, leaving room for me to sit beside him and opened the instrument. I slipped beside him, and watched him rest his hands on the keys for a moment and then he began to play.

Oh my god, did he play! He started with Beethoven, I think. Renee used to play classical music a lot when I was growing up and I became familiar with some of the pieces. This one was _Moonlight Sonata._

I was spellbound as I watched his fingers drift across the keys and listened to the heavenly music. I was afraid to comment for fear he'd stop and the glorious magic that ensnared me would fade. He played without comment for a few moments and then started speaking, his music providing a counterpoint to his story, the story of his life.

"My mother, Elizabeth Masen, taught me to play. It's probably the one thing I remember the most clearly from my childhood—hours spent sitting next to her much like you are sitting next to me as she showed me how." His piece shifted into an old tune, with a bumpy, syncopated rhythm.

"She loved the old standards. This is the _Peacherine Rag_ from 1901." He smiled as he played and I couldn't help but tap my foot in time with the catchy tune.

"She made sure I learned the classics and as a result music has always been my constant, my touchstone, over the years."

He segued into a slower more languorous tune. "This is called _After You've Gone. _It was written in 1918. When my parents died, Carlisle stepped into their shoes, but though I now realize he was probably the best person for that role, I wasn't the best foster-son at first and I caused some trouble."

I noticed a shadow darken his features. "The jazz era gave us a lot of great stuff and the hedonistic times of the twenties were reflected in its music."

I recognized _The Charleston _and laughed.

"You know this one?" he asked.

"Yes. My mother loved teaching me the old dances. _The Charleston_ was fun but I always had trouble getting my arms and legs moving in the right directions at the right times."

He smiled and purposefully jazzed up his rendition and I giggled again just remembering how awkward I had been when I tried to dance.

"But the excesses of the twenties had to be paid for." He slowed the tempo and shifted into a minor key. "_Brother Can You Spare a Dime _became the theme song of the Great Depression."

He played through a stanza before saying, "Rosalie joined our family a short time later and was soon followed by Emmett. My new brother's exuberance helped balance my rather taciturn personality. I've learned a lot about taking joy in the small things from him."

He changed up the rhythm to something up beat. "Do you know this one? I bet your mom liked dancing to this." I immediately recognized the heavy base line of "_The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy._"

"Oh, yes. I love the Andrews Sisters' harmonies."

"Yeah, they were great but Maxine was sort of a bitch." I looked at him in surprise. He said that as if he knew them personally.

He shot me a quick look and added, "…or so I've read."

His medley shifted again and he asked, "Do you like Elvis?" I nodded and suddenly he was playing _You Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog. _

"Alice and Jasper came to us at the same time. I was so glad to have Alice in the family. She understood me better than I did myself a lot of times. I find her advice invaluable."

"But she was the one who told you to wait three days to call me, wasn't she?"

He laughed, "Most of her advice is good. Mostly…" his smile faded as well as the tune and he began to play that old Beatle's standard, _Michelle_.

"Being around committed couples all the time still made me feel a little like I was on the outside looking in but I was mostly content. If it got too much for me, I would go away for a bit but I'd always return. I missed them too much, you see. They are my family."

"There was no one who ever caught your eye in that way?" I couldn't resist asking. I had dreams I'd be _his_ one but I didn't want to get my hopes up in case I'd been reading him wrong.

He turned to me with a soft smile and a warm gaze and said, "What do you think?" I recognized the song he was playing now as _Stairway to Heaven_. I blushed like a twelve-year-old and looked back at his hands and we were silent for a moment as I watched him play and heard the familiar strains that Led Zeppelin made popular back in the seventies.

I cleared my throat and said, "Some people say that this is the best rock song ever written."

"There are so many great ones but this one is special I guess, if only for its length."

I smiled but then he drifted into Berlin's _Take My Breath Away_. He darted a glance at me and then said, "I'd often wondered if I'd ever find her, that girl who would figuratively _take my breath away_."

My blush deepened. Why was I being so backward? I mustered the courage to look back into his eyes, knowing that my own were filled with the love that I now knew blossomed within my heart. It thumped when I recognized his eyes reflected my feelings. He was now playing a song that was very familiar to me, _I Will Always Love You _and it suddenly struck me that he had been telling me his story in music as well as in words. I felt tears well in my eyes and swallowed convulsively.

The last notes of _I Will Always Love You_ lightly drifted off and away and Edward paused. Taking a deep breath, he looked at me and started playing and singing _Come Away with Me. _I could hardly stand it. In that moment, it seemed to me as though his gaze was my oxygen; his presence, my existence, and the words of this song…_his words…_they slayed me. Their every syllable pierced my heart with little arrows of yearning intensity and desire.

"_Come away with me in the night_," he sang._  
"Come away with me  
And I will write you a song_

_And I want to walk with you_  
_On a cloudy day_  
_In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_  
_So won't you try to come?_

_Come away with me and we'll kiss_  
_On a mountaintop_  
_Come away with me_  
_And I'll never stop loving you."_

When he finished, I was weeping. If you had asked me to explain why I was crying, I honestly don't think I could have told you. I was simply overflowing with _him_. Edward lifted my chin to gently wipe my tears with his thumbs then he kissed me, gently, softly, soulfully—almost reverently.

I was dazed and I wondered what he meant by those particular songs? What was he trying to tell me? That he loved me? That he wanted to be with me? I needed to know. "What are you trying to tell me, Edward?"

"I know it seems too soon, but in all honesty I've waited all my whole life for you. I want to be with you all the time and in every way that I can—forever. You have to know Bella, I have fallen in love with you."

"I didn't know..." I put my hand over my heart to try to contain its violent pounding, "…but I hoped. Is this what I feel, too? The amazing sense of completion when we are together? The utter lonesomeness and yearning when we are apart? This is love?"

"I believe it is that and more. I'm destined to be yours if you'll have me."

"How do you mean?"

"In any way that you want me."

"Really?" My voice was faint with wonder because it all seemed so unbelievable but it felt so right. My common sense was shouting that it was too quick, too fast, but every other part of me was passing out cigars and doing hive fives. Uniformly, those parts wanted him in bed. Now.

"It's fate," he whispered.

He kissed me again, this time with more fervor and the puddle I had become quickly solidified into a raging inferno of need. I moaned and wound my arms around his waist. I think I heard him growl.

Suddenly, without me hardly realizing it, Edward had picked me up and two seconds later we were in a bedroom, on a sumptuous bed, and I was in his arms as he kissed my neck, his cool fingers tracing up my arms.

I knew where this was going to lead and I rejoiced in it.

"Oh, Edward…please." I couldn't help begging just the same.

He leaned back to look down at me. A tender fire lit his eyes so that they seemed to glow. His hair was tousled from where I had been running my fingers through it. It made him look years younger for some reason. I ran my hand over his smooth jaw, tracing his chin. He must have shaved before coming over because there was no trace of a whisker. It was just another sign of his care for me—he didn't want to chafe me. With each second, I was falling more and more.

He turned his head to kiss my palm. I pulled his head down to mine, and brushed my parted lips lightly over his. I felt him shiver in response as he took a ragged breath. "Bella, oh Bella, I want you. I need you. But there's something I have to tell you…"

Oh, shit. From my past dismal experience, that phrase always preceded something I didn't want to hear. I looked at him in dismay, I'm sure. I didn't want to have this magical moment ruined. He could tell me later. Even if what he had to say meant we'd never have forever as he said he wished. Right now, right at this moment, I'd have exactly what I wanted and if that was all I ever got, at least I'd have that to remember until the day I died.

"Don't tell me," I begged.

"Don't tell you?" His eyebrows rose as he gazed intently at my face.

"At least not now. Tell me tomorrow. Tonight, I just want it to be about you and me and what we have right now. Let's forget about everything else and just love each other. Please, Edward? Please?"

I was pathetic, I know, but I couldn't help it and evidently, it struck a chord with him because the next thing I knew he was pressing me back into the bed with a passion that I'd never experienced before. His hands pulled at the ties of my sundress and he tugged it down revealing the fact I wasn't wearing a bra.

"Oh…lovely…beautiful." His gaze was worshipful and he lifted a hand to softly caress one of my breasts. The girls were game and immediately responded to his touch. I wanted more. I pulled his head down to mine and pressed my parted lips against his. I ran the tip of my tongue over his bottom lip and he sharply inhaled. Suddenly, his tongue was caressing mine and I grabbed two handfuls of his hair to hold him close to me.

He definitely growled that time. It was sexy and sent harmonic temblors throughout my whole body. I_ had _to have him. I could wait no longer.

I pulled his shirt free from his jeans and ran my hands up his bare back. He shivered in response. My touch seemed to set him off entirely. Soon, we were tearing off each other's clothes until there was just me and just him. His clothes hid no surprises, let me tell you. In fact, he was more gorgeous naked. I caressed the slopes and planes of my wonderful boyfriend's body. I lightly brushed my fingers across his chest and he moaned. I let my hand drift downward, but he gasped and pulled away.

"Bella, this is going to go a lot quicker than I would like."

"It's okay. I feel the same way, too. Let's just..."

He swallowed convulsively as he looked down at my now bare body. "You are so beautiful." He slipped a hand down to cup me just there, and just so.

The sound I made then was hardly beautiful and so I couldn't resist saying, "They say love is blind."

"Don't. You're entrancing…your scent is intoxicating to me…I can't…I want…" he was pressing his fingers against me and I thought I would explode.

"Do you have a condom?" That was forward, but I couldn't wait any longer.

The fog of lust that was clouding his features cleared for a bit. He reached over into his bedside table and pulled out a new box of Trojans. He didn't bother about being gentle. In his haste, pulled the top of the box clean off and quickly got a condom out. He positioned himself above me and the moment of truth had arrived. My heart pounded. Edward looked down into my eyes as he pressed inside. Oh.

It was glorious.

Feeling him fill me for the first time was the answer to any prayer I've ever made. I moaned and lost all sense of my surroundings. He started moving slowly at first, kissing my lips and neck and breasts in synchrony with his motions. Everything faded away until all there was in the world was me and Edward, loving each other. Feeling. Gasping. Holding. Groaning. Grabbing. Kissing. Stroking. Loving.

I pulled my knees up and urged him to go faster. He gripped under me and lifted so we were as close as possible. He moved and loved me with his whole being. Suddenly, feelings were rising up like a tidal wave, higher and higher until it curled and crested and crashed.

"Edward!" I cried. I lost any semblance of intelligence as I rode it to higher heights than I ever dreamed existed. Nothing had ever felt like this before.

Edward was nuzzling my neck, his lips right at the junction of my jaw and ear and when I shouted, he grabbed my thigh and pulled it up further, so we could be more deeply connected. I felt a little sting at the time, but it didn't register as anything important.

"I'm…I'm..." he said against my neck until suddenly he stiffened and roared.

Then two things happened simultaneously: I felt a trickle of blood drip down my thigh from the razor cut I'd given myself earlier, and my dear, loving, wonderful Edward—who was lost in his own orgasmic completion, when he found himself surrounded by what I later learned was the irresistible scent of my fresh blood—

bit me.

**AN: Each one of the songs Edward played came from a decade in his life (barring Moonlight Sonata.) That was how he was subtly telling his history to Bella.**


	5. Sanctuary

**The Bear**

**Chapter 5 Sanctuary**

_**"Action before thought creates trouble."**_

Carlisle asked me to travel back to Forks in order to assist the Quileute in finding the vampire who had killed Charlie Swan. It had been more than five years since our family had last lived there, and I felt an unexpected sense of homecoming as I drove by the "Welcome to Forks" sign on the 101. A lot had changed in our world since leaving this little town. My existence now had meaning and a purpose it had never had since my turning.

For too long, I had existed on a mind numbing routine in order to have a stable and comfortable life. The seven of us had our roles to play. To the world, Carlisle and Esme took their place in our lives as our parents. Carlisle had turned most of us and Esme was his mate, so they took to the parts of our father and mother naturally. The other five of us acted as their adopted or foster children. From our beginnings, Carlisle had introduced us to the humanistic life-style we jokingly misnamed _vegetarianism_. Instead of living off the blood of humans as most of our kind had, we had lived off the blood of animals. This allowed us to integrate within human communities, maintain households, and develop family bonds that extended further than the two to three person covens typically found among savage vampires. But most importantly, it meant that we had chosen not to be monsters.

This eternal charade also allowed Carlisle to follow his passion: medicine. Over the years, he had narrowed the scope of his work to emergency rooms. In this way, his vampiric gifts could benefit mankind. Esme took great joy in being a housewife and mother in combination with her architectural interests, and she seemed more than content. But for me and the rest of the "kids," it meant repeating high school and college again and again for more than seven decades.

College wasn't too bad, especially when I was given the leeway to study what I chose, but high school was an exercise in endurance. By the time we restarted another of our education cycles at Forks High, the endless routine was stultifying. I was beginning to believe that a vampire's existence was what God had intended purgatory to be, that is if He remembered us at all. Just the same, my family made all my sacrifices and boredom worthwhile. I couldn't imagine finding any measure of happiness without their companionship.

We were an unusual coven in another way as well. Many times, vampires found their natural strengths and abilities from their human life were magnified after the change. Sometimes it meant that a strong human became an amazingly strong vampire, a gifted musician now could perform as though a part of a choir of angels, and a beautiful woman became a goddess in appearance.

In my case, it seemed that when I was a human I could read people fairly well, whether it was from an instinctive understanding of body language or natural ability to predict human behavior. As a vampire, however, I discovered I could actually read people's minds. This isn't as great a talent as one might think. The constant buzz of countless minds could be irritating at best. Besides, most people's thoughts are very dull and unremarkable. I used my talent to protect our family. When humans came a little too close to the truth, I could see it and thus give us the chance to disappear without being discovered.

My sister, Alice, could see the future but she found that it constantly changed depending upon the decisions individuals might make. Her foretelling was similar to a captain steering a boat down a turbulent river. She could see ahead just so far, and had to adjust the direction as she went. My ability combined with hers kept our family away from the pitfalls that sometimes appeared on our horizon.

Jasper, her mate, was an empath. He could sense what others around him were feeling and then manipulate their emotions accordingly. For instance, if a human suddenly felt an instinctive fear because we were around, Jasper could soothe him and prevent his suspicions from being aroused.

We kept our unique abilities a secret because there was a power in our world that would covet them and try to "acquire" us if they had known about them. This coven called themselves the Volturi, after the small town in Italy where they had been residing for centuries. They usually got what they wanted by coercion. They would discover what someone cherished and would hold it ransom in exchange for their cooperation. They had acquired many talented vampires that way. We were determined not to become their next acquisitions.

Therefore, we kept to the western hemisphere and lived quietly and unobtrusively until five years ago, when our world was rocked by three nomad vampires who had happened upon one of our Cullen family baseball games. Between ourselves, we referred to their kind as savages—not because they were uneducated and unrefined, but because they preyed upon sentient beings, specifically humans. Of course, we didn't call them that to their faces. It wouldn't have been polite.

Ever hospitable, Carlisle had invited the nomads, Laurent, Victoria and her mate, James, to our home. They were amazed. Our elegant but comfortable home, our life style, and our peaceful coexistence in the human world gave us freedom they never had. Living on the fly as they had to in order to remain undetected by their prey didn't give them the ability to acquire the things we had and do the things we did.

They had studied our ways and surprisingly, didn't reject them. They stayed several days with us asking questions and seeing the possibilities for themselves. Of course, their biggest issue was having to give up what they considered their natural prey and hunt animals instead. They weren't sure they could do it. The thirst for human blood was very powerful.

In the end, they had left us to our quiet but comfortable life and we thought we'd never hear from them again. However, they had been so impressed with what they'd witnessed, they had started to talk about it with the other nomads they encountered in their travels. We suddenly had found we were being sought out by vampires we never knew existed. Rarely a week would go by that we didn't have a guest or two who wanted to know how we did it. Some even had become determined to adopt our life style as well.

Another coven of vegetarian vampires who lived in Alaska agreed to take in these new inductees and help them to get acclimated to a 'vegetarian' lifestyle. The Denalis had always been close to us, in fact, we considered them extended family. They lived even more remotely than we did, so their enclave was more suited to vampires who were trying to break the human habit. There were a few successes—but many failures. The lure of human blood was simply too strong for most.

And then, we met the vampire who single-handedly turned the world upside down.

Bernardo was an ancient vampire who, centuries ago, had left the old world for the new. He was a loner, preferring the wild rain forests of Brazil to civilization and, surprisingly, he was a vegetarian like we were, having long ago learned the value of humankind. But he wasn't completely alone. He had his own family as well, just not through "adoption" like ours. His family was composed of his mate and his natural-born children. Amazingly, Bernardo had biologically fathered his own kids.

This astonished us more than anything. We had always assumed vampires were unable to procreate, but we were wrong. Bernardo had accidentally discovered that male vampires could impregnate human females. He had told us that after long years by himself, he had befriended a human woman and they fell in love. In the natural course of events, they had married. They had lived for a few years as husband and wife when, much to their joy, the woman had become pregnant.

Now, it wasn't exactly unheard of for vampires to take a human lover, but usually those relationships were short lived both literally and figuratively. No human would be safe from a vampire's primal nature when they were that intimate together. Rarely did a human survive such a tryst. The only vampires we had known to be successful in maintaining sexual relationships with humans before we met Bernardo were our female "cousins" in Alaska. They frequently took human lovers, but no child ever came from it. A female vampire's body could not accommodate the changes necessary for child-bearing.

Unfortunately, Bernardo had been devastated when the resultant pregnancy and birth of his child had killed his wife. After some time had passed, he had relationships with other women but when a pregnancy occurred, each child destroyed its mother much to his grief. He had truly loved his wives. He had tried everything to sustain their lives but was never successful and losing them had been bitter blows. Finally at the birth of his last child, he had been able to save its mother by changing her immediately after delivery. Thus, the last of his human lovers became his eternal mate.

As a result of these relationships, he had four children who were neither human nor vampire, but a curious combination of both. Seemingly, they had the same immortal life as their father, but they ate human food, didn't sparkle in the sunlight, and could sleep. I think I envied them the most for that last ability.

About a year after Laurent's coven had visited us, Bernardo and one of his children had arrived on our doorstep. He had heard of the way we lived and, for his children's sake, had decided to leave the wilderness and try to coexist with human civilization. And he also came bearing the most valuable gift the vampire world will ever know: a perfect substitute for human blood.

He called it _o sangue da liberdade_, the blood of freedom. Miraculously, it satisfied every craving a vampire might have for the real thing. It had the same flavor, color, consistency and, once warmed, the right temperature. Instead of a steady diet of the figurative tofu that animal blood seemed to us, here was filet mignon's equivalent. And, as a bonus, it returned the irises of our eyes to their natural color, the color they were before, when we were human.

There were some downsides to SdL, as we started to call it. A vampire could usually go days, if not weeks between feedings when we'd hunt our food. If we drank only SdL, we found we had to imbibe at least once a day. An additional negative factor for some vampires was that we no longer had to hunt. Some felt that the hunt was almost as important as the feast, but I believed it was largely a case of mind over matter. The hunt wasn't necessary to our survival.

Then there was the matter of logistics._ O Sangue da Liberdade_ was made from vegetable extracts and some of the ingredients could only be found in subtropical and tropical locations, which made it difficult for those who sparkled in the sunlight like a disco ball. Bernardo had the raw materials just outside his back door in Brazil but, if we were going to mass manufacture it, we needed plantations as well as a manufacturing center.

It was going to take a while to gear up to this huge endeavor, but we were up for the challenge. This was also about the time we moved away from Forks.

I didn't want to think about all the hectic activity that followed in the intervening years. Needless to say, it took every ounce of concentration of our rapidly growing numbers could focus upon it. We were bound to be noticed by the Volturi because of this and indeed, we were.

For the past few thousand years, the Volturi had been the self-appointed enforcers of the one vampiric law: secrecy. They had a cadre of gifted vampires who would travel to trouble spots around the world and deal with miscreants, usually by executing them. Since we had gone to much trouble to prevent our true natures from becoming known to humans while disseminating SdL, we managed to stay off their radar for quite a while.

At first the Volturi were curious, then skeptical. They believed SdL was a fad that would soon fade but, when it didn't seem to be the case, they became fearful of losing their power. They decided to make war. It was a gruesome year and we were incredibly fortunate that we had Jasper, an experienced soldier both as a human and as a vampire, as well as a growing army on our side. Battle after battle was fought, each one ending up in a stalemate. It seemed both sides had talented vampires who spent the war blocking each other's abilities.

In the end, we achieved an uneasy truce with the Volturi. They agreed to divide the world in two. The eastern hemisphere was theirs; the western, ours.

We called our new world Sanctuary.

There were two laws in Sanctuary. The first was the same as in the east: Secrecy—the human world could never know of us. The second: we would remain civilized. Savages were not welcomed in the west. If they came, they were deported. If they murdered, they were executed. It was as simple as that. Now, we had our own cadre of vampires who would police the Americas to keep them safe and free.

With my special skills, I was more than adept at it.

And this was what brought me back to sleepy Forks.

* * *

I turned onto a logging road and drove down its narrow lane for several miles. Pulling over, I stepped out and breathed the fresh evergreen scent that surrounded me. I leaned against the front bumper of my car, knowing I wouldn't have long to wait. In the distance, I could "hear" mental voices coming closer. Soon, I heard their bodies crashing through the undergrowth. Suddenly, they encircled the place I was waiting and stopped. They were still out of sight, but I knew they could smell me, just as I could smell them. I tried not to wrinkle my nose at the stench. Our alliance was built upon necessity instead of trust and I didn't want to give them a reason to break it.

Several moments later, a young Native American man parted the bushes and stepped out onto the road. He was wearing nothing but a pair of cutoff jeans. His height and well-muscled body told me exactly what he was—a Quileute tribal protector; a shape-shifter.

I stood and nodded my head waiting for him to speak. I was the interloper here.

He studied me for a moment and then said, "Your kind has transgressed."

"A savage has transgressed. He is not of my kind."

The young man scoffed. "Still Charlie Swan is dead at the hands of a vampire. You Sanctuary people promised that would be a thing of the past."

"Each race has its criminals, its discrepancy. That rogue needs to be caught and brought to justice. That's why I'm here. My father said you were expecting me."

A hard look crossed the shape-shifter's face and his voice hardened even more. "The Elders called you here, not us."

I could hear an answering rumble from the wolves surrounding us but still unseen.

"But here I am. I can help. My name is Edward Cullen."

"We know your name. We remember each one of you from when you lived here. You haven't been forgotten."

I didn't say anything. He was making his disdain known. I decided to wait him out. Eventually, they'd tell me what they wanted of me, for they were the ones who had asked for a meeting.

Suddenly, the growl of an engine could be heard coming from the opposite direction than from the one I had traveled. A few minutes later, an ancient red pickup truck appeared from around a curve in the road. It rolled to a stop right in front of my car and I turned to see Billy Black and his son Jacob in the cab. Their minds were quiet. Well actually, Billy's was quiet. Jacob's was confused. Sometimes confusion denoted a low intellect more than a misperception. I wasn't sure which was the case here.

Jacob helped his father into his wheelchair and pushed him over to stand next to the other Quileute. He then stepped back, folded his arms, and looked contemptuously at me.

Billy nodded and said, "Welcome, Edward Cullen. It was kind of your father to respond so quickly to our request."

"It is our duty to assist in these matters, sir."

"We don't need him here, Billy," the shape-shifter said.

Billy looked sternly at the man and said, "Sam Uley, that's not for you to say. The Quileute uphold our pacts."

Sam started to respond but at Billy's glare, backed down.

After a small pause, I said to Billy, "Please, tell me what you know."

A flash of anguish crossed Billy's face and mind, but he said in a steady voice, "Yesterday, Forks' Police Chief Charlie Swan's body was discovered in a fishing stream between Forks and La Push. He had been fed upon by a vampire."

"Did you pick up any tracks?"

"We did, and followed them until they disappeared into the ocean north of our tribal lands. But the scent was familiar."

"Familiar? You know this vampire?"

"We don't know him, only that his scent was familiar. We've smelled it before."

"Here in Forks?"

"More specifically, at your old home."

"Those last two years saw a lot of vampires coming and going but at the time we had declared the state of Washington off limits for feeding. All who came respected that."

"They did then, but evidently one doesn't now."

"Can you take me to the scene? Maybe I will recognize the scent."

At Billy's nod, Sam ran into the woods. Seconds later, I could hear his wolf mind speak to the pack, reminding them to keep me encircled. He returned to the clearing where the Blacks and I waited, and indicated I should follow him.

I turned to Billy and said, "We will do all in our power to bring this murderer to justice."

Billy said, "May the Spirit guide you."

Sam took off and I ran behind him, easily keeping up with the pack. I could now see glimpses of his mates as they darted between the trees that grew thickly on either side of our path. We headed down hill towards La Push. When we had lived in Forks, this area was off limits to us. We had struck a treaty with the Quileute many years before that denied us access to their lands but allowed us to stay in the area as long as we maintained our non-human diet. With the advent of Sanctuary, the treaty was no longer needed. I hoped my efforts in finding the rogue vampire would reassure the tribe that this was still the case.

Finally, we arrived on the banks of a fairly broad stream. It would make a great spot for fishing. There were many eddies and pools along the banks where fish would love to linger and be tempted by a skillfully cast lure.

I could hear the wolves agreeing among themselves that this was the location where Charlie had died. Sam-wolf looked at me as if to say to wait and he ran off for a moment. Not too long later, he returned but in his human form wearing the same pair of cut-off blue jeans he had on before. Who'd have thought he was too modest to change in front of me?

He pointed to the shore line a few yards away. "There's were we found Charlie."

I walked over to where he indicated, and could smell the lingering scent of death and a faint whiff of stale blood. Inhaling, I searched for the more elusive smell of a vampire. It didn't take long to find it. I closed in on where it was the strongest. He must have been watching Charlie fish from behind a large spruce tree.

I stood there among the branches and shut my eyes as I inhaled once more. Flashes of vampiric faces flashed in my mind's eye as their corresponding scents filled my olfactory memory until the flickering parade stopped on one.

James.

I sighed. We had feared this. Of all the vampires that had switched to SdL from human and animal blood, he was the only one whose body rejected it almost in the same manner a human who was allergic to seafood would reject shellfish. In his case, he couldn't digest it. It was the same as if he had eaten pizza; it sat in his stomach and rotted if he didn't cough it back up. He had been considerably angry at his situation and had stormed away, his mate Victoria following him. We never knew what had happened to him afterwards. I didn't smell Victoria's scent in the area, so unless she was waiting for him somewhere, I guessed he had acted alone.

"Can you put a name to this leech?" Sam demanded.

"Yes, I can. His name is James. He was in a coven of three; himself, a woman, and a man but since Sanctuary, they parted ways. He was the only vampire we know of who couldn't tolerate SdL. He was very bitter about it."

Sam said, "He's gone—disappeared. We traced his trail down north of First Beach where he went into the water. We've got scouts looking out for him but no luck yet."

I briefly described James' physical appearance and then they escorted me back to my car and saw me off. I drove back along the logging road and then down the 101 until I reached the turn off for our old home. We had caretakers that kept the drive clear and checked on the house occasionally. Nothing much had changed since we left it. The forest was a little wilder and the lawn needed to be mowed, but the house appeared to be in good shape.

In a few hours, I had reopened the house to livable conditions. I only uncovered the furniture in the rooms I would use—the great room that housed my piano and my bedroom, that ironically had no bed. Once that was completed, I decided to reconnoiter in Forks proper to see if I could pick up James' scent, old or new. The closer I got to Forks, the more often I intersected his trail which told me that James had hung around the town for a while, most likely selecting his prey. But there was no sign of him still being in the vicinity.

His tracks led me to a quiet residential street, and then to a small, two-storied, white house. I recognized it as Charlie Swan's old residence. Evidently, James had purposely picked the man as his victim but for what reason, I couldn't guess. I could tell James hadn't been any closer to the house than the edge of the tree line.

I briefly wondered what was going to happen to Chief Swan's property, now that he was dead. I was pretty sure he had been a bachelor with no family in Forks, but maybe that had changed since I had last been in the area. It was now fully dark and I lurked in the shadow of the trees that bordered the tidy lawn. There were no signs of life in the house. I was just deciding to sneak inside to see if I could find anything that would explain why James picked Charlie as his victim, when a car turned onto the street and pulled into the driveway.

The car door opened and a dark-haired woman got out. In coloring, she was very much like Charlie and so I felt she must be a relative of his. She was young and pretty in a sweet, unspoiled way. She walked up the pavement to the porch stairs. I got a good look at her face and felt something grip my dead heart. It was a strange reaction for me to have.

Since I'd been changed, I had never felt the prickling of attraction for anyone, really. I had been half in agreement with Esme that perhaps I had been changed too young. I had never been too bothered about it except, occasionally, when my family would be in the throes of their own coupledom. It had been more of a feeling of being left out than wanting someone else, though.

I watched the woman as she fumbled with a key ring and tried to open the door. I wondered what her name was and why she was there. It was then that I noticed I couldn't read her mind. She was completely silent. That had _never_ happened before. I'd always been able to read anyone I'd ever run across. Was she real, or was I hallucinating? I was shortly to discover that she was more than real.

My phone started buzzing in my pocket just as a zephyr breeze wafted across the yard. Suddenly, I fell to my knees and found my hands clawing the ground. I was trying to hold myself back; trying to stop from instinctively sweeping across the yard, grabbing the young woman, and burying my teeth into her sweet, delectable flesh. It was her blood—it was _singing_ to me.

That scent! It was every birthday, every Fourth of July, every star-lit night and rosy-skied dawn wrapped up in one. I felt completely eviscerated as if there was nothing left of me but what wasn't filled with her bouquet. I ached in places that, before this moment, I had no idea I could feel anything. Venom filled my throat. My whole body throbbed. I wanted her. I wanted her with my teeth. I wanted her with my arms. I wanted her with my d…damn that phone. Whoever was calling was persistent.

By that time, my Lorelei had entered her house and had shut the door behind her, lessening the perfume that was uniquely hers. Frantically, I dug my cell out of my pocket and slid it on. "Alice, what do you see?" I asked without preamble.

"Edward, are you alright?" my sister's voice asked. It shook a little.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure."

"Edward, I saw it. I saw everything."

"What did you see?"

"Listen to everything first, brother. This is huge."

I swallowed the venom that was threatening to choke me.

"Edward? Do you promise? You must let me tell you everything, first. You can't go off half-cocked."

"Who me?" I was notorious in the family for getting a flea in my ear and acting rashly if not made to think it all through.

"Yes, you! You must listen to everything. It's important. Deadly important. Don't say a word until I'm done, okay? You promise?"

I moved deeper into the woods, intending to head in the direction of my home, but for some reason I couldn't leave the vicinity of Charlie Swan's neat little white house. I had to keep it in my sights.

"Okay, I promise. Now, tell me." I leaned against a tree as I watched various lights come on revealing the girl's path as she moved through her home.

"She's your singer, Edward."

"My singer?"

"You said you wouldn't interrupt! You promised! Now shut up and listen!"

"Okay, okay…"

"The reason you have to listen to everything I have to say is that if you don't, you'll kill her. Do you understand?"

Fear gripped me. I knew one thing for sure, and that was I didn't want her to die. "I understand. Please, go on."

"Her name is Bella Swan. She's Charlie's daughter and she's also in danger. The same vampire who killed her father will kill her if certain things don't happen first."

A primal possessiveness arose in my heart and I was shocked to hear the beginnings of a growl deep in my chest. I never growl.

"But Edward, you'll kill her yourself, if you're not careful. You must get acclimated to her scent so that you can properly woo her."

"Woo her?" What was she saying? Woo? That meant…well, since Alice and I were from the same generation, it meant the same thing to both of us. Alice expected this Bella Swan and me to be mated—for vampires that was a bond stronger than marriage. How would that be possible?

So I said, "That's impossible."

"You remember Bernardo? He had several human wives."

"But he killed them, except the last."

"He didn't kill them; they died from the complications of hybrid pregnancies. Just use protection, Edward."

"WAIT. WHAT?"

"Condoms. You know."

"Oh my god, Alice. You aren't talking to me about this are you?"

"You want Carlisle to talk to you about it? It's about time you had the birds and the bees talk." She laughed, probably envisioning my acute embarrassment at the moment.

Putting that aside, I thought a minute. How could I ever impose this existence on such a divine creature? Bella Swan deserved a full human experience, not this careful life I had to lead.

"No, Alice. I can't do it."

There was silence at the other end of the line. Then in a low, pained voice Alice said, "Then she'll be killed just as her father was. There's no other result."

A dread, sick, fear clutched my heart tightly. "Are you positive?"

"There's no other future that exists for her if you don't step in, Edward. Do you want her dead?"

"No!" I could barely contemplate it.

"Well, then you'll have to protect her."

"How can I? It took everything I had not to attack her just now." As we talked, my hungry eyes were glued upon the single light that was lit on the second floor of the house. I knew she was in that room.

"You'll have to desensitize yourself. When she's away from her house, go in and take deep breaths until the burn is manageable. Then, go in when she's sleeping until you can stand to be in the same room she is."

"Alice, that's sick." I couldn't imagine trespassing so on the girl's privacy.

"Edward, if you don't, she'll die." Alice was firm.

My senses had finally cleared and I moved behind another tree and found that I could see Bella standing near her window, staring down at what looked like a plaid shirt she was holding in her hands. Suddenly, she buried her face in the garment and started to sob. I was surprised to discover that I desperately yearned to comfort her. In fact, I took two steps in her direction until I had the wits to grab on to a nearby tree, instead. I took a deep breath and suddenly my head was filled with James' scent. I jerked up straight and spun around, until I realized what I smelled was on the trunk of the tree. He had been here before me. I growled in anger.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked.

"I'll do it. I have to."

* * *

Thus started the long, painful process of becoming desensitized to Bella's scent. At first, I'd wait until the neighborhood was asleep and sit in her car. Then, I'd try slipping into her house when she was away. Once, I was in her bedroom when she unexpectedly came home and so I quickly hid in her closet. That was probably not the smartest choice because her clothes were saturated with her delightful fragrance. My mouth flooded with venom and the burn was excruciating. Thank God, she didn't open her closet or I would have lost all my restraint. After that, I was careful to make sure I had an escape route when I was in her house.

I spent the time she was at her home ranging the countryside looking for James but so far, there were no further signs of him. It looked like I'd be staying here a while, if only to make sure Bella was safe, and so I opened the rest of my house. Also, I'd run out of my stock of SdL, so I had to hunt for animals as we used to. My eyes gradually changed from the dark green of my natural shade to the old golden brown color they were when we lived off of animals.

After Bella started working in the book store, I would spend the day inside her house simply living with the burn. Gradually, it lessened to the point there was hardly a tickle in my throat when I was among her things but being around her in the flesh was going to be a different story. I started coming into her home at night and gradually worked up to sitting in her bedroom as she slept. I have to admit, by that point I couldn't imagine an existence without her.

Sometimes she'd mumble in her sleep but it was nothing intelligible. I'd still listen intently and strive to make sense out of her words, trying hard to know what was going on in her head. It was very frustrating not to be able to read the thoughts of the one person in the world that I truly wanted to hear. Once, I thought I could make out the words "plaid" and "chameleon." Strange.

Then, there was the night she tossed and turned and cried out as tears streamed down her face. I couldn't bear to watch her suffering and do nothing, so I carefully sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed the hair back from her forehead. I wiped a tear from her cheek with my thumb and was enchanted when she turned her face into my palm searching for comfort. My heart filled with an emotion so sweet and tender, it was all I could do not to take her in my arms and kiss her. But of course, I couldn't. I didn't quite trust myself, and I could just imagine her waking up to find a stranger sitting next to her on her bed. Definitely not the way I wanted to make my first impression.

That night marked the moment when I became even more daring. I'd sit on her bed and, though I wouldn't touch her, I'd get as close as I could and simply inhale her exquisite scent or, if her rest seemed troubled, sing a soft lullaby which seemed to soothe her. This was as close to heaven as I'd ever been and I was content.

Alice wasn't, however. "When are you going to meet her face to face, Edward?"

"When I'm ready."

"She's not going to live that long."

"There's been no sign of James." I was feeling rather grouchy. Alice's insistence was getting on my nerves.

"Listen Edward, seriously, you're running out of time. Go to the coffee shop and meet her. Buy a cup of coffee or something."

So in the end, that's what I did. We met and I discovered that being with her when she was awake was much better than when she was unconscious.

Actually, now that I thought about how I had been creeping around her house and watching her sleep, I realized I had been a little bit of a stalker.

No, I was too easy on myself. I had been a lot more than a _little bit_ of a stalker. I probably would have been in Charlie's gun sights had he been alive and aware of what I had been doing. But that had been the vampire side of me.

Now, my human part was coming to the forefront. I supposed all along, I had been afraid that she wouldn't feel the same attraction for me that I did for her, but I had reckoned without the "mating" aspect of vampirism. The instinct to be together was always mutual, and it seemed to be the case for humans mated to vampires as well. It was evident that Bella was just as taken with me as I was with her.

The minute I had her phone number, I was itching to call her, but just as I was opening my phone to dial, my sister phoned telling me that I had to wait three days in order not to look like a _desperate creep_—her words, not mine—and scare Bella away.

So, I waited three long days to call her and that was the end of my restraint. I knew I couldn't stay away from Bella under any circumstances ever again. That first kiss knocked my feet out from under me and I was flung out of this reality until I was a hopeless, sorry satellite orbiting her moon. I could hardly bear to say goodbye to her at the end of our dates. The times we spent together were full of delightful exploration and discovery. I learned about the woman that had been closed to my eavesdropping mind and was delighted with each revelation. She was quirky, kind, self-deprecating, and intelligent, as well as beautiful. I couldn't understand why I couldn't read her mind, though. Perhaps that was a conversation I would have with Carlisle.

I was floating on air for a while, living the most perfect dream, when I was snapped back to reality. I had word from the Quileute that James was back in the vicinity. My worry about Bella ratcheted up proportionately. I met with the wolves and they revealed that James had appeared along the shoreline far north on the peninsula. They'd scouted around but lost the scent when he crossed the Sol Duc River. Even though they scoured the banks for miles in either direction, they couldn't find further traces of him.

I spent the morning reconnoitering with the tribe and had no luck in finding the location or direction of James. I decided I'd better get back to Bella. My protective instincts demanded that I never leave her side, but I knew that was impossible as I still had to hunt for James. I was considering how to convince her to move into my house, since it was much easier for me to secure than her own. She was so careless of her own safety, but of course she didn't understand that she was surrounded by danger.

I knew the moment of truth was coming, and I needed to explain everything to her but I simply didn't know what to say. I could imagine that conversation. "By the way, Bella, I'm a vampire and if you don't agree to mate with me for eternity, you're going to become vampire chow."

And that's when she'd run away screaming, as she should. But then, if she did, she'd be dead. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

I tried to broach the subject several times, but never could find a way to say it. I even wrote her letters, but realized that would be the cowardly thing to do. I needed to tell her face to face, man to woman; or rather, vampire to human.

However, the fatal day came when my physical and emotional desire for Bella took the choice out of my hands. When Bella met me at her door dressed in nothing but a robe, my mouth went dry with desire. My venom hadn't been in evidence for many days when I was near her, and that was a good thing. It meant the love I had for her was superseding the lust I had for her blood. I was hoping our relationship could proceed as most lovers' would. Perhaps I could show her with my body what I felt in my dead heart.

I spent the next few minutes sitting in her living room trying to calm myself while she finished getting dressed. It was of no use because when she appeared on the landing wearing a dress that hugged her figure and showed off her legs, with her hair cascading down her shoulders in glossy brown waves, and her eyes luminous with beauty, I almost lost it. It was everything I could do not to have my way with her right there on the stairway.

I managed to contain myself and decided that I needed to tell her everything that day. I couldn't put it off any longer. So, I took her to my home and played her my life story on the piano. I think by the end of my recital, she understood. At least she understood that I loved her and I would give myself to her in any way she wanted me.

And, to my delight, she wanted me.

I swept her upstairs into my room with its newly installed bed—I had been anticipating this moment—and kissed her passionately. But I didn't forget that we needed to talk.

"Bella, oh Bella, I want you. I need you. But there's something I have to tell you…"

I was shocked when she stopped me. She didn't want to hear it, yet. She wanted to take what we had now and rejoice in it lest what I said ruined it for us. I understood and feared this far more than she would ever know, and decided that telling her tomorrow would be soon enough. Today, we would love and it would only be about the two of us. Not worried about vampires. Not worried about danger. Nothing but a man and a woman expressing their love for each other.

It was glorious. I can't describe the heights and depths of love and desire we explored in that paradisiacal connection. I now fully understood the term _making love_. Through that act, we completed ourselves and I was made a new man. I didn't have to ask; I knew that it was the same for Bella.

When she climaxed, a frenzy started to stir in my soul and I needed to have more of her, feel more of her and fill more of her. I lifted her thigh, so I could deepen our connection but in my ardor I must have been a little too rough and scraped a scab open on her leg. I was in the depths of passion when I was suddenly surrounded by the scent of her fresh blood and my frenzy of love turned into a frenzy of another kind.

My mouth filled with venom and I bit down.

Dimly, I could hear my phone ringing but I couldn't respond as I was swept away by the ambrosia of Bella's blood. The only thing that stopped me was Bella's sudden gasp and piercing scream. In horror, I wrenched my mouth away from her throat and looked down into her shocked eyes as she clutched her neck.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" I cried.

The pain from my venom must have slammed into her nervous system and she started to writhe in agony as she screamed again. My phone was still demanding to be answered, so I jumped off the bed and grabbed it.

"Alice!" My voice was cracked and tormented as I stared at my beloved thrashing in pain upon our bed.

"Edward, hang on. We're on our way."


	6. After the Fire

**The Bear**

**Chapter 5: After the Fire**

**_The bear sleeps long in the winter but wakes suddenly in the spring. It is then he is at his hungriest and short-tempered._**

The first thing I noticed was that the fire was gone. I lay there in bed, my eyes shut, breathing freely for the first time in agonizing days without feeling as though my every nerve was aflame. I silently rejoiced. I must have been deathly sick with a raging fever that had been burning me alive—or at least that's the way it had felt. I wondered what had been wrong with me. I didn't remember getting sick. The onset must have been sudden.

I didn't want to open my eyes, yet. That would let the world in, and I wasn't quite ready for that. I wanted to take a quiet moment to revel in feeling well again and pain-free.

And I felt remarkably pain-free. I did an internal inventory. From my toes to my head, I was invigorated. In fact, I felt so well I could even feel the individual threads of the sheet that I was lying upon. I could feel each strand of my hair as it lay down my shoulders and the brush of my eyelashes as they fluttered upon my cheeks.

In the distance, I could hear a stream rushing by and could faintly hear cars on a road nearby. I could hear even a quiet conversation.

"But Carlisle, shouldn't she be awake by now?"

"It takes anywhere from three to four days, Edward, as you know. I expect her to awaken any minute now. In fact, I can hear her breathing. That indicates she's close to consciousness. Go to her so you can be on hand when she opens her eyes."

Edward. My breathing quickened. He must be here at the hospital with me. That's right. We had been together when—when what? Did I pass out on him? We had been making love. Yes. I didn't remember it too clearly, though. You'd have thought I would remember every second of that experience. But no, all I could remember was pain.

And he called the other man Carlisle? Wasn't that Edward's father? I opened my eyes and immediately noticed something was different. I could see. Well, I'd always been able to see but now, for some reason, I could see things more clearly than I ever could before. I could actually see the serial number on the side of the ceiling lamp that was hanging above me. It was like I could focus on minute things and see the smallest detail. Maybe whatever I'd had caused heightened awareness as a side-effect. Weird.

"Bella?"

I turned my head and saw Edward standing in the doorway. Oh, my word he was gorgeous. He just looked better and better the longer I knew him. I was filled with love for him. It simply welled out of my heart, unbidden. I smiled, knowing my love showed in my eyes and he smiled back, but there was a shadow of concern about his expression. I wondered what was troubling him. Maybe I've got something really wrong with me and he's worried for me?

But there was something different about him, too, I noticed.

"Your eyes!" I couldn't help to gasp. They were a deep, clear, forest green; no longer the golden-brown color I was used to.

"Yes?"

"They're a different color."

"That's an effect of my diet. I'm on my regular food now, and my eyes have returned to their natural shade."

"The golden-brown wasn't natural?"

"No." He ducked his head and bashfully said, "Green's the color I was born with."

"They're quite lovely." Everything about him was.

He walked over to my bed and took my hand then leaned down and tenderly kissed me. While I reveled in his caress, a part of my mind was curious because his skin had always seemed so cool to me, but now he was warm. My breath hitched. "Are you sick, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know I must have had a horrible fever. I literally felt I was burning alive and now you're warmer than normal. Did you catch what I have?"

Edward hesitated a moment, then said, "Actually, you caught what I have."

"So, you _are_ sick?"

"In a way, I guess. Remember when I told you I had a metabolic issue?"

I nodded, gazing intently at him not having a clue as to where he was going with this.

"Well, my love, much to my utter wretchedness, I've accidentally infected you with it. Let's sit over here where we can talk, and I can explain." He held his hand out to me as I swung my legs off the bed and stood. He led me over to a pair of chairs that were sitting in front of an unlit fireplace. I realized now that I wasn't in a hospital as I had first assumed.

"Where am I?"

"We are still at my house."

"You didn't take me to a doctor?"

"No, I did better. I brought the doctor to you; my father, Carlisle Cullen. He's an expert on this and knew how to care for you better than they would at the local hospital."

I had thought I heard him speak to his father earlier. "Your father's here?"

"Yes. My whole family arrived the day you got infected."

"Was that a coincidence?"

"No, I wanted them to come. You see, we all suffer from the same problem and I knew that they'd help us through this."

"Oh…" That meant they must have seen me while I was unconscious. I noticed that someone had redressed me in my sundress while I had been feverish. I was surprised I wasn't blushing.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I made sure that you were suitably clothed before they arrived."

I stared down at my arms which had a pearlescent sheen to them. I'd seen some lotions that did that. Edward must have done more than dress me, that bad boy. I'd cracked half a smile but then noticed that something else was different. I couldn't figure it out at first but then it came to me.

"My scar!"

"Your scar?"

"Yes, I had a scar on my index knuckle where a glass broke and cut me while I was washing it. It's gone." I inspected my skin closely. "And I used to have a mole here on my arm. What happened to me?"

"That's a side effect of the problem."

"Scars dissolve? Moles go away?"

"Yes, all your former wounds and imperfections are healed—good as new. Actually, better than new."

"This is _some_ metabolic disorder, Edward." I looked at him in wonder. "I would think everyone would want to 'catch' it?"

"There are some down sides." He reached towards a tray that had two mugs on it, like the travel mugs that Starbucks sells and handed me one. "For instance, does your throat hurt?"

I automatically put my hand to my neck and was surprised to notice my throat was sore. It was very sore. In fact, it felt as though it was burning. I hadn't noticed before. "Yes…it does."

"Drink that. It will soothe the burn." He lifted his own mug to his lips and sipped.

"Is this coffee?"

"No, it's a concoction of vegetable extracts but it has all the nutrients we need."

I tentatively sipped the cup and found the drink was pure paradise. Quickly, I chugged it down. I couldn't help myself. I sat the mug down and looked hungrily at his.

"Do you want some more."

"Er…yes. It's like a cheesecake craving. I can't eat just one slice."

Edward laughed. "We'll get you some more."

"So, is this the downside?" I nodded my head towards his mug.

"Actually, it is. You can't eat anything but this for the rest of your existence." He stared at me warily as if I may run away screaming, but if I did that, I couldn't get any more of that delicious crack-juice or whatever it was.

"You've eaten other things before. I've seen you."

"Yes, I did but I couldn't digest it. When I got home, I had to purge." He looked distastefully down at his cup.

"Edward, I'm sorry. You didn't have to do that for me."

"Bella, you must know that I would do anything for you—anything." He gazed at me earnestly. "I love you."

I thought my heart would beat out of my chest at his words. It normally did when he said things like that but though I put my hand over its location I couldn't feel even a normal thump. I put my fingers to the pulse point in my neck. There was nothing.

"Edward, my heart is beating so slowly I can't feel it. Is this another effect of the disorder?"

"Yes, Bella." He drew out the syllables of my name as though he feared to continue. "Actually, your heart isn't beating at all."

I sat there, gaping. My heart wasn't beating? That could only mean one thing.

"Am I dead? Is this the afterlife? Are you dead, too?" Even I could hear the panic in my voice.

Edward put down his mug and kneeled down in front of me. He took my hand and he said, "You aren't exactly dead, but you aren't exactly alive in the same manner you were."

I shrieked just a little. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that when we made love, I accidentally bit you. My venom immediately entered your blood stream at your jugular. There was no way I could suck it out and so there was nothing I could do to save you."

"Your v_enom!_ What _are _you? _Oh, my God, what am I!_?" My voice sounded increasingly panicked.

Edward paused a moment and looked woefully into my eyes and then whispered, "Vampire."

It took two of his family members to pull me off of him.

And it took me quite a while after that to stop cursing and breaking things. I discovered I was super-humanly strong, another one of the effects of vampirism I supposed. I had messed Edward up a bit, too. If he had been human, I probably would have broken his jaw or worse but as it was, I cracked his face. He grew back together almost immediately, none the worse for wear but he kept a wary eye on me after that. He still wouldn't leave my side but made sure to stay at arm's length.

I was incensed. He made me a vampire? He's got to be kidding me! There were no such things as vampires! And yet, I was different. Very different. Was I going to have to start sleeping in a coffin? Was I going to have to start dressing like Hot Topic threw up on me? Was I going to have to speak with a Slavic accent? Would I get a fatal sunburn should I venture out during the day? More importantly, was I going to have to drink human blood?

I had a million questions.

But at first, I had been so overcome with shock and anger, I threw a huge tantrum. I really didn't notice when the others came into the room. First, it was just the two who pulled me off Edward, a man and a woman. They were both drop-dead gorgeous, but I was too angry to pay much attention. The man was wearing a lab coat, like a doctor would, and for all her beauty, the woman had a motherly look about her that made me think of home-baked cookies and a warm hug. I supposed these were Carlisle and Esme, Edward's adoptive parents. They stood between me and the slightly cracked Edward, so I turned to the room and began my own personal one-woman wrecking crew.

As I was tearing the room apart, two others appeared, also gorgeous and also evidently a couple. I sort of liked the gal, because she handed me things to smash. She was blonde and busty with an angelic face, although her eyes told me that she could probably peel the paint off a building with a look if she wanted to. The man with her was watching me with a humorous and admiring expression and once when I managed to clear off a shelf of books with a fire iron, he muttered, "Bad ass!"

The last two people to come into the room were a small woman with short black hair and a tall, blonde haired, blue-eyed man. He looked at me and suddenly, I was calm. It was like someone pulled a window shade down in an airplane cabin; blinding sun-hot fury to immediate dark-peacefulness in an instant. I stood there in the middle of the destruction I caused and looked around, suddenly aware of other things than my rage.

The seven other people in the room cautiously watched me as I assessed my situation but I, for one, was quite horrified with the damage I had done. Not one piece of furniture was left standing; most of it was busted to kindling. If it could be broken, it was shattered, smashed, pulverized. And I hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Oh boy, have I ever made a mess."

The motherly woman stepped closer to me and smiled, "Don't worry about it. I've wanted to redecorate for a while. By the way, I'm Esme, Bella. I'm sure this has been overwhelming for you."

I nodded and looked shame-facedly around and then stooped to pick up a book that I'd knocked on the floor.

"Really Bella, leave that. Let's all go downstairs, and we can have our meal together and answer the questions I know you have."

I was going to protest but she mentioned having a meal and didn't that mean some more of that drink Edward had given me? I couldn't resist. I followed her out of the room and down the stairs to a spacious dining area. The man that I assumed was Carlisle pulled out a chair for me to sit in and I noticed that Edward hesitated at the chair next to mine, but finally choosing the one across the table. I guessed he wasn't quite sure how I was going to respond to the discussion and wanted something between me and him in case I should decide to crack him up again.

I just might, at that.

As soon as we sat, Esme poured out mugs for everyone and this time, I tried not to bolt the delicious beverage down. I managed to remember my manners and after one or two sips, I sat it down, looked at my companions and asked, "Now, tell me what has happened to me."

"I'll be happy to explain everything to you, Bella. But first, let me introduce the family members. I am Carlisle Cullen, that beautiful lady at the end of the table in my wife, Esme. To your right is Jasper and his wife, Alice. Across from Alice is Emmett and his wife, Rosalie—and of course, Edward."

Edward was gazing at me intently. I could see both pain and passion in his eyes and I knew that whatever he had done to me had been accidental but still—he should have told me. But then out of the fog of my memories I remembered something; _he did try to tell me_. I remember him saying something, but I stopped him. I convinced him to tell me later, afterwards; after we had made love.

"This is what you had wanted to tell me, wasn't it?" I asked him.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you?"

His morose look softened as his lip curled in a small smile, "You were able to convince me to tell you later."

I chewed my lip a little. "I seem to remember that."

Emmett snickered and Rosalie elbowed him in the side. I looked around the table and could see by their varying expressions that they all knew what Edward and I had been up to when he bit me. It was then that I discovered that one benefit of my change was that I could no longer blush, thank God.

Rosalie took pity on me and said, "Bella, just so you know, not one of us knew about vampires until after we were changed. It was a surprise to all of us."

"So, it wasn't surprising to you to find me losing my temper like I did? You did the same?"

Their eyes shifted between each other and then Carlisle spoke, "Actually, most of us were so overcome with blood lust that was all we could think about after we changed. It was quite surprising to me to see that you were cogent enough to realize your situation and be angry about it. For most of us, that came later."

I figured I could take another sip of my drink and afterwards I asked, "So, you keep vampirism secret from humans? Why?"

"Mostly it would create an uproar in human society which would affect us as well. It is better for us to remain hidden."

"I don't understand."

"For us, it means we can live in the human world without causing a societal melt down. It's better for those like us that the human world is stable. For the vampires who prey upon them, it is just easier for them to get their meals when the prey has no idea their predator exists until it is too late."

"But you don't drink human blood." I put that together from what Edward had told me earlier; that I would drink this concoction that was in my mug from now on.

"No. We have evolved to the point where we realize preying upon mankind makes us monsters. We choose not to be."

I nodded my head, still surprisingly calm, "So what's happened to me is irreversible?"

"I'm afraid so."

I was silent, trying to figure out what this meant but I still didn't know enough. "So, tell me how my life will change."

"Well first, now you are immortal."

WHAT THE FRICK!

My eyes must have popped out of my head and Carlisle let that piece of information sit for a while as I digested it. I took another sip of my drink, surprised to find the cup was empty. I sat it down and Esme immediately refilled it for me.

"You mean, since my heart already stopped beating, I'm already dead."

"I suppose you could look at it like that, but the fact remains we are real and are able to have fulfilling existences as well as contribute to the world instead of taking away from it."

"So, how old are you?" I had to know.

"I was born in the 1640s. My human name was the same as it is now, Carlisle Cullen. We change our names sometimes to perpetuate our disguises." I blinked in surprise.

Then Jasper said in a soft twang, "I was called Jasper Whitlock. I'm from Texas and was born in 1844."

"I'm Alice, just Alice. I don't remember much about my past and nothing about my human life, but my memories of this existence go back to 1920 and I think I must have been about twenty years old then."

I nodded then looked at Esme. She smiled warmly and said, "I was born in 1895 as Esme Platt. Isn't that a God-awful name? I was changed by Carlisle in 1921." She looked lovingly at her husband and smiled.

Emmett cleared his throat and said, "Emmett McCarty. I was born in 1915 and was changed by Carlisle here at the demand of my lovely wife in 1935."

Rosalie put her hand over Emmett's as it sat upon the table and said, "Rosalie Hale. I was born in 1915 too and was changed in 1933 by Carlisle. Believe you me; I understand your anger, Bella. I felt the same way—still do sometimes."

Then, it was Edward's turn. Just how old was he? He gritted his teeth and looked down at his hands that were folded upon the table in front of him. "I was born Edward Masen in 1901. Carlisle changed me in 1918 to save me from death, as he saved all of us. I would have died had he not, just as Esme, Rosalie and Emmett would have."

Carlisle said, "I still question whether I had done the right thing when I interfered with God's plan by turning these four. Death is as natural as birth. Perhaps our existence is unnatural, however we strive to make the best out of it and do the best by it."

Then he started telling me about Sanctuary and what their role was now in the world. I was amazed.

"So, you now patrol the western hemisphere looking for rogue vampires?"

"Some of us do. Edward is very good at finding them."

"Why? What makes him better than others?"

"Because Edward has a special talent. He can read minds."

"WHAT?" I looked at Edward in shock. Had he been able to peer into my mind and known what silly, dirty thoughts I had about him from the beginning? I was mortified.

"Wait, Carlisle," Edward interjected, "I can read everyone's thoughts both vampire and human alike except for hers. Bella, I've never been able to read your thoughts. It's been very frustrating." He studied my face now and added, "But I guess I can read from your expression now. You have every right to be livid with me."

"Damn straight I am." I folded my arms and glared at him.

He swallowed and looked ashamed. Good. I honestly didn't know how I was going to deal with him.

Suddenly, the tumblers began to click in my head and coldness filled me. "Edward, why did you come back to Forks? You said you were on family business. Now that I know exactly what that business is, I can only assume you were looking for a rogue vampire."

All eyes were upon me and everyone was grim.

"My dad wasn't killed by a bear, was he?" I could tell by how the others didn't move, how their eyes were filled with sadness, how they held their breaths as I worked this out.

"He was killed by a vampire!"


	7. To Be, or Not To Be

**The Bear**

**Chapter 7: "To Be or not To Be"**

"**...Couldn't stop thinking about all the twisted events that had brought [her] to this moment...filled with thoughts so totally different from anything [s]he'd known before. [S]he felt like a different person."**

Charlie had been murdered by a vampire, someone just like me.

The realization of that cut through me like teeth and I could barely stand it.

That was when I learned another downside of vampirism; I couldn't cry. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of grief. The pressure behind my eyes became unbearable and I had no outlet, so I did the only thing I could do. I ran.

Blindly, I ran from the Cullen home, seeking release. Edward called after me, but my wailing drowned out his voice as I flew through the night forest, not caring where I was going, simply knowing I had to get away. Away from them—away from _him_. If I could have run away from myself, I would have.

The trees rushed by until, to my surprise, I discovered I was standing in the back yard of my own home—what was my dad's home. I hadn't planned on coming here but it seemed that at that moment, this was exactly where I needed to be. It was as close as I could get to my dad, now.

Poor, poor Charlie. I hoped he was unconscious before he realized what was happening to him.

I tried the front door and found it was locked. I guess the keys were in the purse that I'd left back at Edward's. I knew, after destroying that room at the Cullens', that I could easily tear the door from its hinges but in my gut I knew there had been enough thoughtless destruction at my hands and so I went around and fruitlessly tried the back door.

I stepped back and looked up at my bedroom window. It was open, just as I had left it when I was getting ready for the date with Edward that now seemed like years ago. I wondered if I could shimmy up the nearby tree and climb through the window. Well shoot, as soon as I thought about doing that, I'd done it. Easy peasy. To be honest, I was a little amazed at my feat. I'd never been an athletic type and to find I could achieve Olympic heights or beyond was amazing.

I took a deep breath as I stood in my room and looked around as though I'd never seen it before. I'd done up my room in purplish pastels, but the colors now seemed sharper, even without the light on. Every detail was vibrant and clear, even down to seeing the individual brush strokes on the walls from when I painted them. But it wasn't only my vision that was extraordinary. I could smell what must have been my former human scent permeate the room. It was pretty close to how I smelled now but with an earthier, metallic undertone that must have been the scent of my blood. My throat started burning and there was a gnawing hunger in my gut. This must be the blood lust Carlisle had mentioned.

I wandered through my room, picking up the bathrobe that I'd laid across the bed all those days ago and held it absently as I gazed around. My brain seemed to be running a mile a minute, simultaneously hopping from one thought to another. What had happened to me? What was I going to do now? Where was I going to live? How was I going to function? Although, I wished it were otherwise, I knew I couldn't just pick up the threads of my human life and pretend my "change" had never happened. It was doubtful I could still work for Laverne. How could I do that when even the three-day old scent of my own blood made my throat itch and burn like a maniac?

Could I be trusted to be anywhere near humans now? Carlisle said the blood lust was strong in new vampires. I needed to be careful or I was likely to cause my own version of the_ Texas Chainsaw Massacres_. How did vampires live anyway? I didn't need to buy groceries now, I guessed, unless that blood juice stuff cost money. Besides, where could I buy it? For sure, they didn't carry it at the Thriftway.

And then there was Edward. I was very confused about that man—or rather, that _vampire_. I shut my eyes and tried to straighten out the tangled mess of my emotions. I was still seething that he put me in this position. I knew it was an accident, though. I highly doubt he would have purposefully bitten me if we hadn't been in the throes of passion. But underneath the shock and hurt, there was something else, something that filled me, something pure, something as much a part of me as my hand, or my head, or my heart. Being mad at Edward felt very much like my left hand being mad at my right, or my brain being mad at my heart, and twice as useless.

No matter what, I couldn't do without him, but I just didn't want to deal _with_ him at the moment. I didn't know what to do about it; not a clue.

In the background of my increasingly confused and panicked thoughts, I heard a car drive up my street and stop in front of my house. I peeked out of the window and saw a sleek, black Mercedes-Benz parking at the curb. I arched my brow. It certainly wasn't the typical car to be found in Forks. I wasn't surprised when the door opened and Carlisle Cullen got out, carrying a box.

He knocked politely at my front door as I hesitated on the landing. Did I want to see him? Not really. But did I have a lot of questions? Yes. Could I get my questions answered on my own? Unlikely. Did I have a choice? Not at all.

I went downstairs and answered the door.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked instead of a welcoming hello. My mother had taught me better than that, so I sheepishly added, "Er…hi, Dr. Cullen."

"Carlisle, please." His smile was a genuine mixture of care and concern. "I wasn't sure where you'd be, but I thought perhaps you might come here. I'm glad my hunch was right. Bella, I know you are disoriented, shocked, confused, and perhaps even frightened. Believe me, I know how you feel because I remember many of the same emotions when it happened to me. Actually, you do have an advantage that I didn't. You have a family, if you wish, who are eager to help you adjust and give you whatever support you need."

"I need this to be a dream and when I wake up, I'll be able to shrug it off as too much ice cream the night before or something."

His smile dimmed a bit and he put his hand comfortingly on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Bella, this is real. Whether it will be a nightmare or a dream for you will depend entirely upon how you choose to deal with it."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "What do you suggest I do?"

"As Rosalie told you, all of us started where you are now. I brought you something that I think may answer many of your questions." He put the box he was carrying down on the credenza that sat in the foyer. I could now see it was filled with leather bound books.

"These are my journals. I started writing them many years ago and they've proved helpful to the others in the past. I also brought you a few thermoses of SdL."

"Yum." I couldn't resist saying as I saw the silver containers nestled next to the journals. To be honest, I actually moaned.

Carlisle laughed. "It is rather tasty, isn't it?"

"Amazingly so. I've never had anything better."

"It sure beats bear blood. But anyway, I'll leave these journals with you. Read them and then I'll answer whatever other questions you have. In the meantime, we've informed Laverne Crowley that you had to leave Forks suddenly to assist your mother in an emergency and unfortunately have had to take a leave of absence. I hope you don't mind our presumption, but she was expecting you back at work yesterday and—well, as I'm sure you now realize—that was not possible. What you'll do after you understand your situation better is entirely up to you, but this excuse gives you a few weeks before you have to decide, at least."

"That's true. Thank you."

"When you're ready, just call me and I'll return immediately."

"Thank you, Carlisle." I was eyeing the thermoses. That stuff was like crack, I swear.

Waving he left, leaving me alone. He hadn't pulled away from the curb before I had swallowed the first thermos. I had the second one down before he turned onto the main road.

I had no will power with this stuff. I was worse than Paula Deen was with butter.

Having drunk all the SdL, I turned to Carlisle's journals. There were about a dozen of them, all neatly bound in leather and arranged in chronological order. I picked up the box and decided to start reading. After all, Carlisle had told me to read them before calling him again. He said he'd come right over and answer any other questions I would have. I was betting he'd also come bearing some more of that crackberry juice. I had homework to do first, if I wanted more of that.

So, I began reading first learning about how Carlisle got turned in the 1660s. He was English and his dad was a fire and brimstone preacher who hated everyone and used religion as an excuse to sanction his narrow-minded bullshit. Carlisle always wrote respectfully of his father, but I could read between the lines. The one good thing Daddy Cullen was able to instill in Carlisle was a respect for the sanctity of people's souls and, as a result, Carlisle refrained from feeding off of them. He became the first "vegetarian" vampire. I learned that vampires were preternaturally beautiful, their skin sparkled in the sunlight, and they had a "glamour" about them that attracted humans like flies to fly paper and was just as deadly.

I had to check this out. As a human, I had never considered myself beautiful, just passable. I ran upstairs to study my reflection in the mirror that was on the back of the bathroom door. I was rather pleased I still had a reflection, discounting the old myth that vampires didn't have an image.

Holy Hannah. My eyes were fucking red! I looked like a reverse stoner. Instead of the whites of my eyes being bloodshot, my irises were a dark red mahogany. I guess it was going to be sunglasses for me for a while.

I took off my clothes and critically studied myself. Gone was the cellulite and saddlebags that no matter what exercises I did, I could never seem to get rid of. My arms and legs were long and shapely, longer and shapelier than I remembered. My skin was unblemished; there wasn't a bruise or a scar anywhere to be seen. I also had absolutely no body hair except for what was on my head, which was extra voluptuous, and my finely and beautifully arched eyebrows. I remembered that I spent an inordinate amount of time in preparing for my last date with Edward in hopes that I'd be able to seduce him, wicked woman that I had been. I had removed every stray hair and had plucked my brows within an inch of their lives. According to Carlisle's journal, my body would stay this way forever. Well, I must say, that was a benefit indeed. No more waxing, razors, or tweezers for me!

I turned around and looked at my backside. Dayum! I now had an ass you could bounce a roll of quarters off of. Talk about junk in my trunk!

I slowly got redressed thinking about my changed body. I looked at the toilet and realized that wouldn't ever be needed by me again. On the counter, I saw my toothbrush, then turned to the mirror and opened my mouth. Four years of orthodontia when I was in middle school and the early years of high school insured my straight teeth, but the filling I had in one of my back molars was no longer there, just a healthy and sharp looking tooth.

I shook my head in disbelief and returned downstairs to the journals. My new body was too good to be true, but I just didn't feel like me in it. I sort of liked my old imperfections. They were what made me human. Unfortunately, since I wasn't human any longer, I guess this no longer applied.

In the second journal, I learned about the Volturi, the scary royalty of vampiredom. There was only one world-wide law vampires were required to adhere to—to keep our existence secret from humans. If we broke that rule, we would have our heads handed to us—literally—by the Volturi Mod Squad. Maybe that was why Edward didn't tell me sooner? He didn't want to be beheaded by the Tige, Pete, Julie, and Linc of their world. I'm sure when I was a human, I would have had much worse at their hands.

Reading further, I learned about Carlisle's lonely trek to the New World and how he decided to become a doctor and devote his existence to helping mankind. He found that his heightened senses were especially useful in diagnosing illnesses and injury in humans and he was significantly old enough as a vampire to master his bloodlust until it was almost irrelevant.

Then, I got to the part where he wrote about turning Edward. As Carlisle described Edward's last illness in graphic detail, a cold dread grew in my heart as I realized that if he had never been changed, I'd have never met him. It made me feel as though I'd shatter into a million pieces if that had been the case. But then I realized that if Edward had never been changed, I'd never have been changed either and my peevishness over that was able to keep me from completely dissolving into a big puddle of emo.

Next, I learned about how Carlisle met Esme and the vampiric phenomenon of mating. Carlisle's description of his feelings about his wife and how it seemed his whole universe shifted until his world was centered upon her sounded awfully familiar—too familiar. It didn't take me long to realize that Edward and I must be mates. It wasn't anything we chose; it was kismet or fate. It happened whether we willed it or didn't and there wasn't anything we could do about it.

Actually, according to Carlisle's journal, there wasn't anything we would want to do about it either except revel in it. There was a small, rebellious part of me that chafed at the fact I had had no option in the matter and the only thing I had had a choice in was taken from me by my mate, the bugger.

I learned that Carlisle always knew exactly where his mate was in physical proximity to himself, even if she happened to be half a world away from him. He supposed this was why, after meeting her when she was a girl and treating her broken leg, he was on the scene in a completely different town when her dying body was brought into the morgue he worked at.

I put the journal down and shut my eyes, testing to see if I could locate _my_ mate. I felt a pull and turned so that I was facing my back door. The urge tugged me forward so I walked to the door, went outside, and directly into the forest that lay just a few yards beyond, right up to my still-as-stone mate who evidently had been keeping a vigil outside my house ever since I ran there the night before. Carlisle may have guessed where I went but Edward _knew_.

He stood there watching me with eyes full of emotion: love, trepidation, sadness, hope, and desire. I am sure my gaze was equally conflicted.

"So, you're stuck with me forever," I remarked.

He cracked a smile. "I would rather say that I've been blessed with you forever, if you'll have me."

"If I'll have you? Like I have a choice? Like I _had_ a choice?" I lifted my arm to illustrate what I meant as an errant sun beam made my skin glitter and sparkle like a country singer's bedazzled jean jacket.

"Bella, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I don't have the words. I'd have never done this to you on purpose—or at least without your permission. I'm so sorry." He reached out as though he wanted to touch me but thought the better of it and let his hand drop to his side.

I didn't say anything for a moment, not really knowing what to say so I started with the obvious. "So, the cut on my leg suddenly bleeding is what did us in?"

He nodded, looking shamed. "The combination of the ecstasy of my orgasm as we made love with the scent of your blood was too much. My lips were already at your throat. I lost control."

I sighed. I certainly could understand how that happened. "Maybe I should have worn a Band-Aid."

He shrugged and looked completely woe-be-gone. I felt an urgent desire to comfort him. I reached out, took his hand and asked, "So, it was good for you that night?

The look of earnestness on his face struck me to my unbeating heart. He took both of my hands in his and stooped down to gaze into my eyes. "Oh Bella, it was the greatest thing ever to happen to me. Words aren't good enough to explain…it was like heaven. I ache to be that close to you again but that's entirely your choice."

Well, what girl wouldn't be flattered to the core at that declaration? Especially as I had the sneaking suspicion, I felt exactly the same way. I decided to fight that feeling off for the moment. I still had things I needed to know and there was no use in getting distracted by sex.

Changing the subject, I asked, "How did you know I was your mate?"

He clung to my hands as if they were lifelines and gazed deeply into my eyes. "I knew from the first moment I saw you. I came to Forks the day after your father died to find his killer and saw you arrive here. Actually, I was standing where we are now, wondering who could be coming to Charlie's house. The second I saw your face, I knew."

"So, you had no choice either?"

He looked puzzled. "No choice?"

"This vampire mating thing. It's like _bam!_ There's your mate, you're stuck with her."

"…or stuck with him." Edward started to fidget.

"Edward, what if I'm a horrible person? What if I enjoy pulling the wings off flies, hate dogs, tease babies, never bathe, and snort when I laugh? What if there isn't anything to love about me? You still wouldn't have had a choice. You'd have had to deal with a repulsive mate forever."

"I don't think anything you'd do would seem repulsive to me."

I'm sure my expression was incredulous. "Don't you want to make that choice yourself and not have it made for you by destiny or whatever decided this? I mean, I've been forced down your throat."

"Bella, I know that at first my attraction to you was a visceral response to our mating bond and the fact your blood sang to me but since the day we actually met, I've found you to be a joy. Your quirky mind, your strength, your kindness; they all added up to someone I liked and respected as well as loved."

"How do you know your attraction for me isn't just something out of your control? And how do I know my attraction to you wasn't that vampiric glamour thing that I was reading about in Carlisle's journals?"

"I didn't use any glamour on you."

"You can turn it on and off at will?"

"Yes. It's a tool we use to lure unsuspecting prey into our clutches. You were never my prey and I had no desire to trick you. I just wanted to know you. I wanted to be with you. I wanted you." His thumb started tracing soft patterns on the back of my hand and it gave me goosebumps.

"Can I glamourize you?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You could but it isn't necessary. I'm already enchanted by you. I became that way weeks ago."

"How do you turn it on?"

He ducked his head, then slowly looked up, his eyes intense and hooded. His lips parted and he breathed out and I could smell the sweetness of his breath. Suddenly all my will collapsed in a big ugly heap and, mesmerized, I leaned forward until I was in his arms. He held me tenderly as he gazed into my eyes, breathing out all the while. I put my hands on his shoulders and without thinking, tilted my head, exposing my throat to his lips. Sighing, he kissed me there and I recognized his lips were on the same spot he'd bitten me just four days ago. I gathered my scattered wits and pushed him away, holding him at arm's length.

"Wow."

"It's a very powerful tool." He smiled.

"You just breathed on me?"

"Well, that plus I had to think that I wanted to lure you in. It's a combination of the two."

"So, this is all just parlor tricks?"

"Parlor tricks?"

"Yes. Tricks. Fate. Lures. We really don't have to work for our relationship. Our mutual devotion happens no matter what we do. That's not the way it is supposed to work. It's too easy, Edward."

"Bella, I don't know about you, but this hasn't been easy for me. I, too, want you to love me for myself and not just because we were fated to be mates. I've worked very hard at showing you the man I am. I knew I needed to tell you what I was before we made love, but I had been fearful that when you found out, you'd tell me to take a hike. As a human, you could have done that, and I would have let you. But when you asked me to postpone telling you and just take what we had for the evening, I selfishly agreed. Biting you was a horrible accident and I regret it more than I can say."

"I know you're sorry, but this is something that sorry won't fix. I'm still in shock over it, to be honest."

He sighed and hung his head. There was nothing more to say and I knew it, so I asked him something else. "You were in Forks in the first place to find the vampire that killed my father, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who killed him?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"A vampire named James. He had tried SdL and discovered he couldn't digest it. It didn't work for him. His failure had made him very bitter and I suppose he's out there seeking vengeance. He could have moved to the other side of the world and lived his life as he always had, as reprehensible as that was, but he didn't. I don't know why or by what chance he picked your father, but he specifically selected Charlie as his prey."

I burned with this information and felt another emotion settle on my soul. I knew this feeling. It was hate. I was going to see to this James monster. I was going to make him suffer for what he did to my dad.

"And Bella…"

I looked up at Edward with my plans half formulated.

"From all signs, he was on his way back here to kill you, too."

**AN: The Mod Squad was a TV detective sitcom from 1968-1973. They were undercover narcotics detectives and absolutely too cool for school. Google a picture of The Mod Squad and you can just see Julie as Jane, Linc as Felix, Pete as Demetri, and Tige as Alec: the Mod Squad in groovy capes with reversed stoner eyes.**


	8. Secrets

**The Bear**

**"Dangers can appear from the least expected source."**

**Chapter 8 Secrets**

I stared at Edward in shock. This James monster targeted my father? And now he was coming after me?

"But why?" I asked

"We don't know. I could tell he had been spending time in the woods around your home and the police station prior to your father's murder. Immediately afterwards, he left the area. He was tracked as far as the ocean and then his trail went cold. A few days ago, his trail reappeared."

Just then, we heard my neighbor's back door open and she let her dog outside. I liked dogs but this one had gotten on my nerves. He was a huge, lumbering mutt who seemed friendly enough except for one thing. Evidently in his opinion, my yard was his bathroom and his owner didn't seem to care that he left daily calling cards for me. I could have looked the other way if his piles were reasonable dog-sized but one of his ancestors must have been an elephant because it looked as though Jumbo had crapped in my yard when he was done with it.

A few weeks ago, I'd politely asked her to keep her dog away, or at least pick up after him—she'd need a shovel and wheelbarrow for that, let me tell you. She had apologized profusely and scolded her dumb dog who was standing dopily in the doorway next to her, wagging his tail like he was an innocent non-pooper. Later, I discovered she'd just let him out at times she thought I wasn't at home.

Bitch.

I bet she didn't pull that crap when Charlie had been here.

Nose to the ground, the dog sniffed circles in my backyard until he finally found a spot he hadn't crapped in yet and assumed the position. That's when I growled. I wasn't expecting any sort of response because in the past the idiot dog just looked at me with a "Duh?" expression and continued the process.

However, this time it was different. Instead of looking confused, he lifted his head, stared in our direction and gave a big sniff. If a dog's eyes could bug out, his did and—what do you know—he stopped besmirching my lawn.

Suddenly, his hackles rose. He growled and started to approach where we stood in the sheltering trees. I feinted towards him and he yipped like he'd been struck and ran off a few feet. Then, realizing he needed to save doggy-face, he turned around at a safer distance and all hell broke loose. He started barking and baying like a freak. Shoot, the last thing I wanted was any attention from humans at the moment.

My neighbor's back door popped open and she stuck her head out. "Rufus? Rufus! What's the matter?"

The dog didn't tell her. He just kept on screaming at us and, now that his irresponsible owner was on point, started for us. I heard his owner yell, "Rufus! Come back here, you stupid dog!" followed quickly by some rustling in the undergrowth. I wasn't really afraid, but I didn't feel up to a confrontation at the moment. I could smell the scent of my neighbor's blood from where we were. It gripped my throat and made my stomach coil in need. I decided I'd better not get any closer to her.

"Let's get out of here," Edward said as he tugged my arm to pull me deeper in the woods. I nodded and we both ran as quickly as we could into the forest, away from Forks.

That's when I discovered I didn't simply run; I flew. My feet barely touched the ground. I realized I had run from the Cullens' to my house the night before but I had been so distraught, I really didn't pay much attention to the process. Now I could, and it was amazing.

I put my arms out like a plane and it felt as though I was soaring through the trees. The sheer exuberance I felt made me laugh. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward running alongside of me, watching with a delighted grin.

"This is fabulous!" I shouted. My voice sounded surprisingly loud.

"Yes, it is," Edward answered in a normal tone. I realized with my sharpened sense of hearing; I'd didn't have to shout. We could run flat out and talk like we were sitting across from each other at my breakfast table. I smiled with glee.

"There are some benefits to being a vampire," Edward said as he suddenly swooped behind me and, though he didn't touch me, I could feel his breath shiver on the back of my neck as he dashed by, suddenly appearing on my other side. I tried to ignore the dry throat and goose bumps he had given me. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it.

"Watch this!" he called as he vaulted into the air and ricocheted from one tree to another as we ran through the forest. Then he grabbed a branch that was hanging over our path, looped around and dropped right behind me.

"Try it, Bella. It's fun."

"I'm afraid I'd break my neck."

"Not possible. Come on. You're not chicken, are you?" he taunted. Laughing, he sprang into the air once again and bounced from tree to tree like a pinball.

"Did you just call me a coward?" I asked, my ire being stirred, but evidently that's all it took to follow him aloft. Soon, we were racing through the boughs of the trees, jumping from one to the next so rapidly that birds sharing the canopy with us must have thought we were only a couple of gusts of wind.

Gradually, our race morphed into something else. Our paths wove together as we flew through the canopy, first his crossing mine, and then mine crossing his in an evergreen _pas de deux. _Our movements were perfectly in tune and exquisitely graceful. Occasionally, he'd brush my arm or back with his hand as he passed and the chills that ran through me then!

Desire for him struck me to my marrow. I felt a simultaneous tightening and loosening deep within and I was surprised to discover I was moaning but it wasn't moaning. It was a growl; a feral, wild sound.

The next time we passed, our eyes met. He could tell that I was aflame, and I knew that he felt the same for his gaze scorched me to my soul.

Our dance had changed from joyous delight to something more primal and bottomless and I was drowning in it. The next time we passed, I caressed his shoulder—just a whisper soft touch that ended at the nape of his neck. Edward growled and suddenly we crashed together, our arms and legs entangled, our lips seeking as we plummeted onto a mossy, sunlit bank on the forest floor. Edward's mouth brushed across mine as he threaded his fingers through my hair. I was shaking with sensation when our lips met, and I was lost. His body pressed mine down into the moss and I pulled him close.

I was flame and need. He was the answer to both. I wanted him, even though I had every reason to hate him for what he had done to me. I was shocked to recognize that on some level I was willing to overlook it and that frightened me; this letting go, this stupid surrender. I was being blindly led down an unfamiliar path, like a lamb to the slaughter. There was so much I still didn't know.

Edward, sensing a shift in my mood, pulled back and looked down into my eyes, questioning without a word spoken. He must have gotten an answer because he smiled sadly and stood, offering a hand to help me. Still keeping my hand in his, we continued through the wood. Our pace wasn't the crazy dash it had been earlier, dimmed as it was by this uncharted sea we were sailing.

The fact was, though my body and my emotions were all for 'mating' with Edward, my mind wasn't convinced and my spirit—well, I'd never trusted that hocus pocus stuff before. What was 'spirit' or 'soul' anyway? I'd never been very religious. I thought that sort of thing was more of an excuse to do what you wanted in the first place.

We came upon a clearing and I recognized the Cullen's house in the middle. I hadn't realized the direction we were headed but I was glad we ended up here before my instincts over-ran my common sense—and yes, my sheer perverse stubbornness. Surely, I wouldn't molest Edward in front of his family. As we stepped into the clearing, Edward stopped, met my eyes and then allowed his eyes to drift down my body and back. Without a word, he gazed intently into my eyes and very clearly let me know what he desired, hoped and craved. Ugh. I was a mess.

"Are you sure you aren't using your glamour on me?" I whispered.

He let go of my hand. "I don't have to. No matter what, our souls speak to each other. It's beyond our control."

"Would it have been like this even if I hadn't been transformed?"

"It was for me. You have always been my one. You will always be my one." The look he gave me just then melted the cold from my heart.

He took my hand again. "Didn't you feel the same, Bella? Didn't you know that I was the one for you?"

"I…I think I did. I couldn't stop thinking about you and I remember the times we were together as being so perfect, as though I found something that was missing from my life. It felt so right."

"I promise there was no coercion then or now. What you felt was true and honest."

I understood what he was saying but I was still so unsure. "Were you planning to change me?"

"I was trying to figure a way to explain all of this to you and give you a choice. It was going to be up to you; stay mortal or become like me. My passion got the better of me and I took that choice from you. It was a horrible mistake on my part. Now, I'm afraid you'll never trust me, but I knew we were running out of time."

"How so?"

"James. Alice foresaw something that I couldn't ignore. She said that if you hadn't been changed, James would have ultimately killed you."

That stopped me cold. "So, I'd had no choice after all?"

"You would've had a choice but neither of them good. There is no escaping James. He's a hunter."

"A hunter?"

"Yes. His vampiric gift is to always successfully capture whatever prey he chases, and he was chasing you."

"But why?"

"I don't know. I hope we can catch him and find out."

My head was spinning in confusion, so I walked ahead of him, knowing he was right, but it all was still a hard bit to swallow. I feared I would choke on it.

As we reached the front door of the house, it opened with a relieved looking Alice standing on the threshold. "Oh, thank goodness you're back!"

"Were you expecting otherwise?" Edward asked.

"It could have gone one of two ways. I'm so glad you ended up coming here. This was definitely the better choice. Come in." She stepped to the side and gestured for us to precede her. Still unsure, I did as she bid, and Edward followed me.

Alice led us into the kitchen just as the microwave buzzer went off. Oh boy! I knew what that meant. It was mealtime. She opened the door, took out two mugs and handed one to me and the other to Edward, then reached back in and got her own. "Let's go out on the veranda. It's such a pretty day."

We sat together around a table on the stone patio that overlooked the backyard and river below. The lush forest that surrounded this oasis of peace and beauty was a lovely backdrop to it all.

"Wow, this is gorgeous," I couldn't help to remark.

"Esme has a knack," Alice said as she gazed across the lawn into the trees.

I hadn't taken a sip of my drink, yet. I was afraid the minute I tasted it I'd once again rabidly suck it down and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of these two. I decided I would drink when Edward did. It was a plan, anyway. He was watching me with a little smile on his face as though he knew what I was thinking and deliberately took a sip of his. Gratefully, I followed suit and was pleased that I had enough control not to slurp as I did.

"Where is everyone, Alice?" Edward distracted me with his question.

"They went to meet with the Quileute."

The Quileute? That was Billy and Jacob's tribe that lived near the ocean at La Push. My dad had been very close to them and I remembered their promises to me after he had died. Had they been working with Edward to find James? Is that why the Cullens had to meet with them now? I looked at Edward as he took another sip of his drink—so I did, too. Then he set his cup down on the table and turned to me.

"Bella, there's something else you should know."

I sat my drink down. I figured Edward's ominous tone was a clue that I'd probably not like what he was going to say and there was no way I was going to allow shock to cause me to spill my drink. I didn't want to waste a drop. I'd always been a pretty practical person.

I folded my hands in my lap as I looked at Edward and waited for him to tell me something I was pretty sure I didn't want to hear.

"The Quileute see vampires as their natural enemy."

"But how do they know you are vampires? I thought you kept that secret.

"They can sense it fairly readily. They say we have a peculiarly sickening smell."

That was weird. Though my experience had been limited concerning the natural smell of vampires, I'd always thought that Edward had an intoxicating scent. I certainly used to get high huffing his neck when I had had the chance.

"You look surprised," Alice said. "Don't be. The feeling's mutual. Frankly, _they _smell like a musky tennis shoe."

"So, if I should meet a Quileute, he would know I was now a vampire by my B.O.?"

"Uh…yeah."

"And is it just they who smell like old Nikes, or do all humans?"

Edward chuckled. "No, humans smell like bar-b-que. Appetizing. Delicious. The Quileute, especially their warriors, stink like an old locker room."

"Geesh, Edward. Warriors? That's sort of an archaic word. And last I checked, the Quileute were humans and peaceful ones at that. I don't get it."

"Everyone has their secrets. The Quileute are no different. Their tribe has always had protectors and has always been in touch with the mystical. They keep it to themselves."

"Then how do you know about it?"

"Because, what their protectors protect them from are us; or, at least that was the case going back centuries. But they've treated the Cullens differently since we first ran into them back in the 1930s because they realized we did not prey upon mankind. Now, after Sanctuary came into existence, they tolerate us a little more. We've pledged to safeguard humans from our feral cousins and as you know, that's what brought me back to Forks in the first place."

A shadow darkened my face as I remembered my dad and I sighed. "You speak as though the Quileute aren't humans, though. I don't understand."

"They consider themselves human, but in my opinion, if we can't call ourselves human, they can't either."

"Are you telling me that they are vampires, too?"

"No, they aren't vampires but some of them have powers that humans don't. They can shape-shift."

"Shape-shift! Into what?" I thought of Jacob and how he shifted from being a friendly kid to an annoying wise ass, but I didn't think that's what Edward was talking about.

"They change into wolves. Big Wolves."

I burst out laughing. "Yeah, right!"

"But they do, Bella," Alice said.

"How? During the full moon, do they start growing furry ears and tails? I bet that's hard to explain as they're shopping at the Seven-Eleven."

"It's not gradual. It happens all at once. They sort of explode into a wolf."

It seemed so ludicrous. I couldn't believe it. But then,_ I_ had changed into a mythical being, hadn't I? I wondered how many more fantasies would be revealed as facts to me now. Were they going to tell me that Hobbits and Hogwarts were real, next?

"This is too much." I put my hands over my eyes and slumped down in my chair as I tried to get a grip on my new reality. Edward knelt next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "I know this is overwhelming for you. We all went through this and we are here to help you. You aren't alone."

My traitorous body was immediately comforted by his touch and it took a lot of willpower not to turn into his arms as though he was my only refuge. I was so conflicted. I decided to refocus.

"So, why is your family meeting with the Quileute?"

I noticed how Edward glanced at Alice before she replied, "We're working together to find James."

"So, they're hunting together now?"

"Actually, they're just meeting. There was something else they needed to discuss." Edward was looking guilty now.

"What's that?"

He heaved a sigh. "You."

"Me? Why?"

"We're not sure how they will take this." He waved his hand over me.

"Why should they care?"

"They definitely won't like the fact that you've become a vampire."

"Why?"

"They could decide that I killed you when I changed you and that would violate our treaty."

"But I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Edward shrugged. "It depends upon your definition of alive. I think the Quileute will be concerned about your lack of a heartbeat."

"What can they do about it?"

"Who knows what will happen? They could stop cooperating with us...could close off their lands…maybe even declare war. Hopefully, Carlisle will be able to keep things calm."

Alice had been quiet during this last part of our conversation and we hadn't noticed her staring into the distance until Edward stopped and turned to look sharply at her. "Alice, what's going on?"

"I…I…we'd better get inside."

Edward reached over to grab my hand as he stood. In a blur, suddenly the rest of the Cullen clan tore out of the trees and were running for the house.

"Edward," Carlisle shouted as he ran, "get Bella in the house! We've got trouble!"

**AN: **

**Before Dumbo, the cartoon elephant that Disney created, there was Jumbo, an actual African Bush Elephant who was rather large, huge in fact. He was a part of PT Barnum's circus from 1881 to 1885 when he was hit and killed by a train in a classification yard (where they put the cars of the trains together.) He was twenty-four years old. He had big poops.**

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone in the US!**


	9. Plots

**Chapter 9 Plots**

_Volterra, Italy_

_What am I doing here?_

I nervously pushed my hair away from my face. It had a mind of its own at times, wild and red as fire. Usually, I loved its uninhibited intemperance but at times like this, it was more of a nuisance as it brought attention to me when I least wanted it. It was best to be unobtrusive in this place.

I watched the ancient vampire stand at the embrasure and look out over the starlit town. He appeared to be cultured and refined. His graceful movements were not unusual in our kind but there was an air about him that unconsciously made my spine stiffen in dread. Though he looked the very epitome of gentility and hospitality, I knew better. He could easily be our deaths. His cruel lips finally twisted into a smile and he turned to me.

"Go to your mate and tell him that we are very pleased with his efforts; _very_ pleased."

Trying not to show my relief, I backed out of his presence and said, "I shall, sir."

I ducked through the stone archway that led down a dark corridor and eventually away. I swallowed my fear and walked swiftly down the passageway. As far as I was concerned, the quicker I got out of this place and back to James, the better. I had known allying with the Volturis was a dangerous game, but James had insisted upon playing it. I hoped it wouldn't prove to be a fatal one—for both of us.

_Outside of Forks, Washington_

I peered out of the third story window and saw a flash of black dash through the trees outside the Cullen house. The Quileute warriors had us surrounded but we were at a stand-off. As in all the Cullen properties, this house had been specially reinforced to the point that, with the shutters down and barring a direct hit from strong ordinance, it was impenetrable.

Three days ago, I reacted without thinking when Carlisle yelled for Edward, Alice and me to get into the house. We dashed inside with the rest of the family fast on our heels. As Carlisle ran through the doorway, he slapped a button that hung on the wall just inside and suddenly the house was a fortress. Hidden gates and shutters slammed down over doors and windows and we were seemingly entombed. The wolves couldn't get in but because of their vigilance, we couldn't get out. It had been like this for three days. Carlisle had been trying to arrange a talk with them but to no avail. They wouldn't respond to him as he stood on a high balcony and called down to them, they just growled. Edward frequently "listened" into their thoughts but couldn't figure out exactly what they planned to do. All he could read was their pathological hatred and desire to destroy the Cullen family.

"Oh, I've such a headache!" Alice said as she flopped down on the sofa next to me. She put her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.

"They've been constant since the wolves have come, haven't they?" Jasper asked, resting one hand on her back. Evidently, this had never happened before. Ever since the wolves arrived, her head ached, and her visions stopped.

She nodded her head.

"They must have some sort of interfering power. I wonder why you didn't run into it before now."

Alice shuddered. "We kept our distance when we lived here before, if you'll remember. The treaty was pretty explicit, and it was in existence before you and I joined the family."

Jasper nodded and looked at me as I sat there feeling miserably responsible for all this trouble. "Bella don't feel guilty. It isn't your fault."

"But it's because of me the Quileute are angry."

"No, it's not because of you, it's because of what I did to you. It's my fault, really," Edward said. He had just come inside from the balcony after another of Carlisle's repeated but ignored pleas to the wolves to call a truce.

"It was an accident," I said but not very vehemently. I'd gotten more used to the fact that I was a vampire. I'd even gotten more used to the fact that Edward was my mate. In fact, most of me rejoiced about that fact except that one, obstinate, piece of me—the stubborn, Swanish part, as my mother used to call it— refused to accept it. That part of me was a great believer in free-will and rejected the idea of this "mating" mumbo-jumbo.

"Edward, you need to let that go as well," Alice said her head was still cradled in her hands as Jasper stood behind her and gently massaged her shoulders. "Since James is back in the area, Bella would have been dead by now if she had remained a human. I saw no other course for her unless she changed."

Edward didn't respond to her, he just looked longingly at me. I wanted to comfort him. I felt driven to do it. He had kept his distance these past three days, but he was always solicitous of me, always caring. I found I returned his feelings more than I cared to admit.

Oh, well.

I said, "To be honest, I'm rather glad to still exist. I wouldn't have wanted to die, at least without first getting justice for my dad and I couldn't have done that as I was, could I?"

There was a dawning light in Edward's eyes as I spoke and after I finished, he began to speak, "Bella, I…"

He was interrupted as we all heard a vehicle turning off the main highway onto our drive.

"It's Billy Black and Harry Clearwater," Edward said. "Finally, they want to talk."

As if they materialized out of thin air, Emmett, Rosalie and Esme appeared in the room causing me to jump. Even though I was now also a vampire, I still wasn't used to how _quick_ we were. I could imagine I'd have to really watch it when around humans or I'd give myself away without thinking. Carlisle appeared in the doorway that led to the balcony. "Edward, could you come out here? It seems something is changing."

The rest of us, curious as we were, followed Edward outside and looked down to see that three of the Quileute warriors had morphed back into their human form. They stood in a row with their arms crossed and glared at our family. I could hear the car approaching, the only thing in this scene that was changing. Finally, rounding the last curve, an ancient pickup truck pulled up next to the warriors and rolled to a stop. Jacob appeared from out of the woods and went to help his father get out of the passenger's side of the vehicle, pulling his wheelchair from the bed of the truck and setting it next to where Billy waited.

Soon, Billy, Jacob and Harry Clearwater arranged themselves in front of their clansmen and looked up at us.

"You have violated our long-held treaty, Carlisle Cullen," Billy said.

"How so?" At least Carlisle's tone was polite.

"One of your coven has killed a human being."

"Whom do you claim we have killed?"

"You _have_ killed Isabella Swan, who was a blood-sister to the Quileute through her father, Charles Swan."

Carlisle looked over his shoulder at me and with a small movement of his head, indicated I should come next to him. I did as he asked and looked down at my father's old friends.

"Hi, Billy," I said.

I could see the older man shudder in revulsion as he looked at me. My gut wrenched and my eyes widened in shock. After all I had been through and now someone who was supposed to care about me could only look at me like I was a pile of dog shit he had stepped in? Oh, no way! Anger stirred in my gut.

"I'm not dead," I said rather sharply.

"It would be better if you were." His lip curled in disdain and his eyes narrowed.

I gasped. My anger was fanned to flames now.

Edward stepped close to me and put his arm around my shoulders. His touch comforted me, and I leaned against him as my fury ebbed a bit.

In a clipped voice I said, "What choice did I have? James was on the hunt for me and had I not changed; he probably would have killed me by now."

"We would have protected you," Billy said.

"Just like you did my dad?"

I realized that was a low blow when I saw a pained look cross Billy's face, but it was true. Besides, his "_it would have been better had you been dead"_ comment wasn't exactly a love tap.

"It makes no matter. The Cullens knew that changing you would violate the treaty we had held for generations. We are now at war."

I put both of my hands on the railing and leaned over to glare down at him, "Let me get this straight. You mean that you, Billy Black, the man who may as well have been a brother to my father, would kill me or allow one of your tribe to kill me?" I was half shocked, half pissed off. I think the pissed came through loud and clear. Billy tried to be stoic, but I could tell I'd hit a nerve.

"I'm not dead, Billy, I'm just different than I was. I've adopted Sanctuary's doctrines and there's nothing for the tribe to fear from me," I said.

Carlisle put his hand on my arm, looked down at our visitors, "I promise you, Billy, we love Bella every bit as our own for that is what she is now. In fact, she is my son Edward's mate and was destined to be; therefore, her change was unavoidable. You understand how strong this tie is, for you have something like it among your own."

Harry Clearwater turned so that his back was to us so that we could not understand what he said but no matter how quietly he whispered, I could hear him plain as day. We all could.

"I don't like it, Billy. That's Charlie's girl up there."

"Yes, but she's not the girl that Charlie knew."

"Do you think that would have made any difference to him? Really?"

There was a long pause and Billy sighed.

"We've got to look after her, Billy. Charlie would want it."

"Yes, but not with them around." Billy rolled his eyes towards us assembled on the balcony above them.

"Maybe we should take Bella to see Walalo. Perhaps she could help her?"

"Do you think we can trust Bella not to hurt anyone?"

"What choice do we have, in honor? Now that Charlie's dead, it is our duty to try. The boys will keep her under guard."

Billy grunted, looked back up at us and said, "We will depart but only if Bella goes with us."

Edward pulled me tightly against his chest and shouted, "No!"

"Unless Bella comes with us, your family will never leave this place."

"Why Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"She is our daughter. We cannot abandon her."

"She is our daughter, too," Carlisle replied.

"She's more than a daughter to me!" I could feel Edward's anxiety ripple through the both of us.

"You have our terms, Carlisle Cullen. I will return tomorrow for Bella." Billy signaled to Jacob to take him back to the truck.

"Carlisle, I will not allow them to take Bella!" Edward was frantic.

Carlisle put a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder, and we all watched as Billy and Harry got back into their truck and drive away. The other Quileute men, who had said nothing during the confrontation, melted into the forest and a few minutes later, the flash of grey, black, and brown appeared and disappeared through the trees in the bordering forest. They had resumed their watch.

Guilt washed through me like the rain that was pouring from the sky outside. I stood at the window of Edward's bedroom and looked at the crying heavens wishing I could cry with them. I had understood that the treaty between the Cullens and the wolves went back more than half a century. Two natural enemies agreed to coexist. It was really quite an amazing thing to have happened, but then my existence blew it.

But Billy wanted me to go with them now and if I did, the Cullens could go free. The treaty wouldn't be renewed but at least there wouldn't be bloodshed or venom-shed or whatever the case would have been in this instance. I don't know what the tribe had in mind concerning me, but it seemed that since they considered me family, they couldn't just ignore my existence. I knew without any doubt that the resolution of the problem was up to me.

I felt rather than heard Edward walk up behind me and soon his hands were on my waist and his lips were at my ear. "I won't let them take you."

I shivered from his closeness; my body was completely enraptured by his touch. I turned my head so that his lips were pressed against my temple. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him. A fire ignited where we touched, and I melted into him. He kissed my temple and whispered, "I love you, Bella."

Warmth had replaced the cold that had lodged in my heart and, over the past few days, it had grown and blossomed like a flower. I turned in his arms and buried my face into the hollow of his shoulder. "I love you, too," I admitted.

"Even though I changed you?"

"No matter what, I don't think I could ever stop loving you," I admitted. "I know you're sorry."

He lifted my chin so he could see my expression. "Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me?"

He wasn't looking for reassurance, I could tell that. He was looking for hope. If I could forgive him one day, then perhaps we could have a future together. I could only answer honestly, "I'm halfway to forgiving you now but I don't know how long it will take for the other half to catch up."

He sighed and pulled me close again, "That's more than I deserve."

"You really deserve much more, Edward. It's just me. I haven't got my head completely wrapped around this just yet. When I do, then we'll see."

I could feel him nod and we were content for a moment to stand there in each other's arms while the world spun around us.

"Why do you think Billy wants me to go with them?"

"I don't know but it can't be anything good. I could read nothing but horror in their minds over your current condition, but they are conflicted because of your father. They feel some responsibility for what happened to you, but they hate what you are—what we are."

"I heard them talk about taking me to some woman—_Walalo_. Who is she?"

"_What is she_ is more like. She's their healer. I don't know her, only heard of her. She's very reclusive and very old."

"I don't think they'd hurt me."

His hands clutched the back of my shirt. "I'm not willing to take that chance."

Then, he lowered his head and kissed me. We hadn't kissed since that mad dash through the forest after I realized I'd become a vampire. I suppose he had been giving me some space, and I appreciated it, but three days of being in each other's company without this _completion,_ I guess you could call it, was unsatisfying.

I gave up. I wasn't fighting this any longer. We were mated. I knew this deep down even before my change. Fighting it was like fighting the rotation of the earth. Without him, I was lost. With him, I was at home.

I loved him.

I simply loved him. It was time to show him.

"Edward. I do have a regret."

"Only one?" His eyes were soft and full of the love he had for me. I basked in it.

"Only one." I traced the woven herringbone pattern in the shirt he was wearing. I found I was a little shy about talking about this. "I don't remember our first time very well."

I could feel his arms flex as he pulled me tighter into his body. "I remember it all—both heaven and hell mixed together."

"It wasn't good for you?"

He sighed. "It was perfection for me, but I ruined it at the end. I can't forget that, and it will always cast a horrible shadow over the bliss."

Still tracing the pattern on his shirt, I looked up at him and said, "Perhaps we can make a new memory to erase the bad?"

He stilled and gazed into my eyes as though trying to discern exactly what I meant. I could tell he was fearful of letting himself believe that I was asking for what he wanted himself. "How do we do that?" he whispered.

I didn't say a word, I simply reached up and pulled his head down to mine and unleashed the passion I had been trying to deny since I woke to this life. It didn't take him long to respond to me. Suddenly we were all lips and hands and skin. Our clothes melted off of us unnoticed until there was just me and him and this amazing connection we had between us: love, passion, sensation, fire, fury, peace, home.

We paused, standing there in his bedroom aerie away above the others and problems; above war and hate. For this moment we were alone in the universe and it was this moment that would define who I was, who he was, and what we were meant to be together.

It was as though I hadn't seen him clearly. Before my change, I had run purely upon instinct recognizing him on some level where there were no words, only the purity of our indivisible bond. Now I could see him as he was—though a vampire, he was still a man and completely mine.

I could count each strand of tousled hair that sprung from his head in a riotous glory, his broad brow, smooth and pure, slashed by two dark brows framing eyes that saw directly into my soul. His soft lips were parted a bit as though they were ready to savor every kiss, every taste of me. His jaw, strong and defined, drew me closer, daring me to touch, to caress; the pillar of his neck joined his broad shoulders and his long, sinewed arms. I marveled at his beautiful fingers that could play me as skillfully as they played a piano.

He took a breath and it drew my eye to his muscled chest that begged me to rest my cheek against it and run my fingers through the fine hair there. My eye traveled downward to his narrowed waist and the darker trail of hair that dropped to his muscular hips and long, lithe legs.

My mouth dried in anticipation as I realized how ready he was for me, how his strength was revealed there as well as in the rest of his body. Michelangelo couldn't have created a more beautiful creature. There was never one as perfect as Edward and, joy of my joy, he was mine.

And I was his.

He held out his hand for me to take and as I placed mine in his, he said, "I, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, the man that I was, the vampire that I am, take you, Isabella Marie Swan, to be my mate, now and for all eternity."

A glorious fire lit in his eyes and I could feel the love and passion and commitment he had for me. I knew from that look as well as his words that this was our forever. From this point onward there would be no turning back.

I laid my hand in his and replied, my voice shaking with emotion, "I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, and all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will be, to be my mate, now and for all eternity."

The light in his eyes flared and suddenly I was engulfed by his arms and we were entangled on his bed. Every particle of my body rejoiced in him with each kiss. He was above me, around me, and, there being no need for barriers now, within me, and we soared.

"Oh, Bella, this is more…it's better…" He put an arm under my waist and pulled me up into him, arching my back and oh…the feeling inside me.

"Edward!" I begged. I gripped his hips with my thighs and dug my fingers into his back. The sensation was incredible as he pressed into me again, and again, and we flew up, and up, and up until we exploded into shivery sparks.

We collapsed together completely unwound, completely satisfied, and completely together.

Edward rolled us until we lay on our sides with our arms wrapped around each other and quietly gazed into each other's eyes. I lifted my hand and stroked the side of his face and nodded, never breaking eye contact. There were no words that could express what I felt but he had to know through some sort of spiritual osmosis how I felt, how I feel, how I would always feel, no matter what happened. He smiled and I knew my message was clear.

I loved him.

Later, when Carlisle called Edward to his side to discuss strategy, I wrote a quick, heartfelt note and quietly jumped from the window of Edward's bedroom and slipped into the surrounding woods.

It didn't take the wolves a half a minute to find me.


	10. Girl Talk

**The Bear**

**Chapter 10: Girl Talk**

The wolves escorted me down to First Beach. It was a rainy, dismal day, so no one seemed to be out. I think they had even blocked the main road to the reservation as well. They didn't want to take the chance that I'd go all blood lust on them, I guess. I was glad they were careful because I wasn't sure exactly how I'd react to the smell of fresh human. Edward had told me their aroma was irresistible.

The Wolfpack themselves were no temptation, let me tell you. Being this close to them gave me the opportunity to see—or smell—for myself that Alice was right. They did smell like a manky locker room. I stopped breathing so I wouldn't pass out from the fumes.

The rain pelted down from pewter skies and once we got down to the beach, the ocean was rough. A small boat was pulled up onto the shore and the wolves, who hadn't changed back into their human forms, indicated I should get in. I jumped over the gunwale into the boat just as one of them transformed back into human form and started pushing it into the waves. I recognized him as Sam, one of the older boys on the res.

He didn't seem to be embarrassed about the fact he was naked in front of me and I found, to my surprise, I wasn't at all interested in what he was packing. I hadn't been a nympho in my human life, but I had had a healthy admiration of the male body, especially one as fine as Sam's. The fact that seeing one now in all its glory didn't spark any kind of reaction in me was weird. His dick was about as interesting to me as his elbow. Perhaps this was just another result of my transformation or maybe it was due to the mating bond I had with Edward.

_Probably._

It seemed likely when two souls bonded, that side of existence was reserved exclusively for one's mate. Fine with me.

Sam pushed off, then jumped into the boat and started the motor. I noticed several of the wolves had followed us into the surf and were swimming alongside. I guess they figured they could come to Sam's aid if I proved to be a danger, but I was tyring to behave as non-threatening as I could. I figured cooperating with the wolves was the only way I could save the Cullen family. I knew our store of SdL was running low and soon they'd have to leave to feed and the wolves would be waiting for that to happen. There'd be a war and I couldn't let my family get hurt.

I just hoped Edward wouldn't do anything stupid when he found I was gone.

After a half an hour, I could see that we were headed towards an island that was still close enough to shore to be considered a part of the reservation. I wondered who or what awaited me there. I could tell by the set of Sam's features that he wasn't going to tell me anything. In fact, I'd bet my next cup of SdL, that he'd rather dump me overboard than bring me to our destination.

Soon, we were pulling up to the island that stood like an edifice rising out of the ocean. There was no shore and so Sam had to idle the boat near a sheltered landing and tie up. He nodded at me to jump out onto the floating dock but as soon as I did, four wolves jumped from the sea to join me. The first thing the stupid mutts did was to shake the water from their fur and spray cascades in every direction.

Instinctively, I dodged the deluge and suddenly found myself a couple of dozen yards up the path from them. I was as surprised as they were to find such a distance between us so instantaneously but of course they thought I was trying to run away from them, so they got their hackles up, their dumb-fuck macho on, and gave chase.

Oh, Lord. They were really pissing me off. If they'd just given half a thought to what I had been dodging, they would have figured it out. Idiots.

I didn't want to hurt them in a fight and, thinking I could outrun them, I took off further up the path as fast as I could. About two seconds later I was at the top of the island and had entered a clearing. To my surprise, the wolves were snapping at my heels and I was wondering what I was going to do if they caught me. Would I smash them down? Would I let them smash me? I was unafraid of them hurting me. Weird.

In a corner of my mind, I was minutely observing my surroundings. Thick vegetation and trees had lined the path that I had ascended and now bordered the meadow-like clearing. A shallow trench encircled a large boulder that sat in the middle of the field. I ran across the field but the second I crossed the trench, I immediately lost control over my body and fell, face first, onto the grass.

I couldn't move a muscle. My eyes were wide open, and I could see the bolder in front of me. I could hear the howls of the wolves behind me. But why weren't they pouncing on my unresisting self? I still wasn't afraid. Weirder.

Suddenly, the boulder morphed into a little cottage. It looked very much like the wooden houses the Quileute lived in back in La Push; one floor, built up on blocks, square in shape with small windows on either side of the front door and painted a now faded red.

The door opened and out walked the most beautiful woman I think I'd ever seen and that included the vamperific Rosalie. She was tall and lithe with golden hued skin that was unblemished. Her waist-length hair was so black it looked blue and seemed to have a life of its own. Honestly, she looked like an anime heroine come to life.

Her mouth was pursed in amusement and her eyes were filled with humor as she walked up to my side and looked down at me.

"Welcome, Isabella Cullen. My name is Leah Clearwater, but the tribe calls me _Walalo_."

I still couldn't move—that included speaking—so I just gaped at her like a beached fish hoping she understood I wasn't normally so impolite. I also hoped she could unfreeze me so I could check out how I got laid out so thoroughly. I wondered if the wolves were in the same predicament I was.

She reached into a small bag she was carrying and pulled out a pinch of some sort of powder that smelled very much like that Nori seaweed stuff sushi was wrapped in. She sprinkled that over my prone body and suddenly I was back in control of myself. I slowly got up, fully expecting to be tackled by an over-eager wolf idiot but I remained unmolested.

I muttered my thanks and turned to look behind me to find the wolves lined up on the outside of the trench whining, pawing the ground, running back and forth, and looking every bit as frustrated as I had been when I had been helpless and lying on the ground. Seems they couldn't cross the trench. Also, they certainly didn't like to be on one side of that trench and me on the other.

The large, black wolf stood up on his hind feet and then, wham-bam, he was Naked Man again—good ol' Sam Uley, the unrepentant exhibitionist.

"_Walalo_, let us in! She is dangerous!"

"She's not dangerous to me, but if you pull another stunt like the one you just did, she may be dangerous to you."

He looked a little miffed. "What stunt?"

"Chasing her up here! She could have killed you all. It's a good thing she's patient with your idiocy. Now, I'm fine, you're fine and she's fine. Bella and I are going inside for a nice chat. You boys go on home."

A chorus of canine whines and whimpers greeted her announcement, but she turned back to me and said, "Let's go on inside and get out of this weather. I'm sure you have a million questions."

I nodded, relieved that she seemed to be the first sensible person I'd talked to today and followed her up onto her porch, but before we entered the house, she turned back to the still naked, still frustrated, still furious Sam and said, "Oh, and Sam? Go put some clothes on."

With that, she led me inside and shut the door. I looked around, surprised to find such a mundane place. _Walalo_, or Leah, kept a pretty ordinary home.

She handed me a towel as I was soaked through and said, "Go on into the bathroom and get out of those wet clothes. I've laid out something you can borrow. When you're done, have a seat over there on the sofa. I'll get us something to drink."

She busied herself in the galley kitchen that was just off the main room as I quickly went to change. The wet didn't chill me, but being drenched was irritating and I was thankful to Leah for providing dry clothes. After hanging my wet stuff over the shower curtain rod, I returned to the main room, towel drying my hair. I was surprised to find it wasn't a tangled mess. I didn't really need a comb or a brush. It just fell into natural waves around my shoulders and down my back. Vampire hair is the bomb.

Putting the towel aside, I saw a stack of familiar paperback books on the coffee table and I had to laugh.

"You like anime and manga?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. I'm quite addicted, in fact."

"I think I remember selling a lot of these in Mrs. Crowley's bookstore. Seems it's the only thing kids want to read now-a-days."

"Mrs. Crowley used to special order them for me. I'm afraid I was her biggest customer."

I picked up an old anime book from the_ Sailor Moon_ series and thumbed through it. I didn't see what was so appealing about this one. Sailor Moon always seemed to be a bit of a moron.

Leah finally came out of the kitchen with two steaming mugs and sat mine down in front of me. I was getting ready to apologize for having to refuse her hospitality when I caught a whiff of what she'd brought me.

"This is SdL!" I said as I reached for it. Leah was full of surprises.

"Of course. I know it's all you eat and since you're going to stay with me, you needed sustenance. There's not much game on the island, so I made sure I had this in store."

I took a sip. "This actually tastes better that what I had at the Cullen's if that's possible! It's chocolaty."

Leah grinned. "Good! It's my take on vampire food. Glad you like it."

"How did you know how to make it?" I took another sip and only just refrained from smacking my lips.

She chuckled. "When you get to be as old as I am, you learn a lot of different kinds of things. It's rather satisfying to be able to put them to use."

"I'm thankful for it, that's for sure." I hadn't thought of bringing some food with me when I ran away.

I looked at her mug. "What are you drinking?" Surely it couldn't be SdL, too.

But she laughed. "It's Swiss Miss with marshmallows."

I chuckled. "Well, that's pretty prosaic for a…what are you? You've got me completely baffled. You implied that you were old but, honestly, you don't look any older than me."

"I'm pretty old, even compared to your mate."

I blinked. Edward was over a hundred. Maybe she didn't know that and thought he was still closer in age to his appearance.

She saw my confusion and smiled. "Don't forget Bella, the Quileute are a tribe of shape-shifters."

I blinked again. "Does that mean you can change into a wolf, too? I thought only the warriors could do that."

"Sometimes in our tribe, a woman is born that has this ability, but she becomes more than a warrior or chief. She becomes what I suppose you'd call a wise woman or shaman. As the _Walalo_ for our tribe, I can shift into the form of anything–a wolf, a mouse, a horse, a fish, or whatever I want—even Sailor Mars."

My blinking was becoming a problem. I was sure to develop a tic. "So, you're shifted now?"

"Yes." She leaned forward eagerly. "I have such a crush on Sailor Mars. She's awesome."

She fluffed her anime-like hair. Well, this explained a lot about her appearance. I knew normal hair didn't have that much body and surely no one had eyes that big and lashes that long.

"I, er, well…I always liked Sailor Mars better than Sailor Moon," I said. I wasn't quite sure what to say, so my go to conversational piece was always literature.

"Oh, Sailor Moon was a moron."

I choked on my drink. "Exactly! She was so boy crazy. Even when I was in middle school, I thought that was useless."

"I know, right? Sailor Mars was stand-alone strong. I've always loved her."

"Do you ever wear your own skin?" I had to ask.

"Sometimes—when I want to scare the shit out of someone."

She chuckled and I laughed. I was really beginning to like Leah. I certainly appreciated her sense of humor.

"So, how did you know I was going to come here?"

"Your family was in danger. They were at a standoff with the boys and they were running out of food. What else could you do? I knew the boys would bring you here, so I made sure I was prepared. You will stay here."

"I _will_ or I _can_? Am I a prisoner?"

Leah snorted. "Honey, you can stay or go as you want but I promise if you stay on this side of the sage circle no one will bother you, not even me. I think you need that for a while."

"That little trench out there keeps everyone out?"

"Everyone except you and me."

I have to admit, the respite made me feel less anxious, even with the dull ache of missing Edward.

"Why did I lose control of my muscles when I crossed over?"

"That was just a little preventative measure."

"What were you trying to prevent?"

"I wanted to make sure you stopped and listened before you ran off. If you had had control over yourself, you would have run on by, right?"

"I guess so."

"And it also demonstrated to the peanut gallery that I was in 'control' of the situation so they could go play somewhere else."

"Ah…don't you like the wolves?"

"Oh, I love them. They're like a pack of bratty kid brothers to me—both endearing and irritating at the same time. They think their job is to protect me but, no matter how many times I've told them so, it isn't. Their job is to protect the others of our tribe. I protect myself."

I could see she had that part pretty much nailed.

"Why do they hate the Cullens so much?"

"To be honest, it isn't the Cullens they hate as much as just vampires in general. Many generations ago, we were almost wiped out because of some of your more predatory cousins and so their reaction is instinctive and part of their genetic make-up. It was hard to convince them that the Cullens were fighting on the same side as we were. I've always known it wasn't the Cullens we needed to worry about.

"Since the original treaty between us and your family, the pack's just been looking for an excuse to put your family back on the bad guys list. Your father's death almost did it. At my insistence, they were going to give your Edward a chance to prove the Cullen's allegiance, but he blew it spectacularly since he immediately turned around and vamped you up. And it wasn't just any ol' human he vamped; it was the daughter of our tribe in a way. Charlie was a brother to us. What Edward did to you was a heinous sin indeed and unforgivable in their eyes."

I took another sip of my drink trying to think this through. Finally, I said, "You seem to know the Cullens pretty well."

"I do. I've met them a few times over the years and I've studied them fairly closely—keep your enemies close and all that. Over time I grew to appreciate what they are; what Carlisle is."

"Well, they seem to think that my dad being killed by that vampire, James, wasn't just an accident. It was intentional."

"You mean James sought Charlie out in particular?"

"Apparently so."

"But why?"

"We really don't know but we do know that James was also looking for me."

"You? Why?"

"He was going to kill me, too. The only way to avoid it was to change me."

"But how do you know this?"

"Do you know Alice?"

"Yes. Your sister-in-law, the occasional clairvoyant?"

I snorted. "Occasional?"

"Yep. Her visions are capricious and therefore frequently unreliable." Leah was dismissive.

"From what I know, when she has them, they are reliable. It's just that they have something to do with the decisions people have made or have yet to make. She can't have a clear picture unless someone has committed to a particular action."

"What if they commit then change their minds?"

"The vision changes, I guess. But in my case, Alice saw there was no alternative. If I stayed human, James would have killed me."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do. Besides…" I didn't know how to explain to her about Edward without sounding like a love-sick idiot that belonged in a Harlequin Romance.

Leah cocked her head and waited patiently for me to continue.

I put down my now empty cup, stood, walked over to the window, and looked out into the pouring rain. I could see a trio of wolves on guard duty along the edge of the clearing, their sharp eyes peering in every direction.

Sighing, I turned back around and said, "You called me Isabella Cullen when we met. Why did you call me that?"

"Because that's your name."

"My name is Isabella Swan."

"Not since this morning."

"What do you mean?"

Leah was looking at me as though I was nuts. "You said the words, didn't you?"

Immediately, I remembered standing bare to the world in Edward's bedroom as he pledged himself to me and I pledged myself to him. My voice shook, "How did you know?"

"Things come to me." She shrugged. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Th-thank you." I was perplexed.

I knew the bond that I had with Edward was strong but…_Married_? The _M-word_? The _never-ever-ever-ever-do-that_ word? Marriage in my family didn't seem to work too well and I had been well and truly indoctrinated into the anti-_let's-get-hitched_ lifestyle.

But I remembered the look in Edward's eyes as he took my hand. I remembered how I felt as he promised forever and I eagerly did the same, then I figuratively bitch-slapped myself.

I was a moron. Why was I getting all hyper-ventilated about _marriage_ when I had embraced vampiric _eternity_? I made no logical sense at all. I wondered if Edward knew exactly what he was getting into when he pledged himself to me. I could be pretty irrational.

"I guess we aren't legally married according to the state of Washington but according to our nature—you could say we are; more than that, even." I flipped my hands over in frustration. It was hard to explain this bond to someone outside of our world.

"The Quileute have something similar, so I know exactly what you mean."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We call it imprinting. I've been told when two people imprint, it's like '_gravity shifts'_ and '_it's not the earth holding you here'_ and '_you would do anything for her'_ blah, blah, blah." She rolled her eyes.

"You don't believe it?"

"Yeah. I believe it. It's just never happened to me. I think because of my _Walalo_-ness, I can't imprint with anyone. In the history of our tribe, not one woman who has held my position has ever had a mate. I regret it in some ways but not in others. Actually, for the most part I'm satisfied. I have a tribe to look after." She smiled and in her eyes, I could see a wisdom and acceptance that only comes with experience and reflection.

"It's strange, isn't it?" I said.

"It's biological mostly. In order for our tribe to continue producing shapeshifters, we have to keep our blood-line pure without ranging into creepy incestuous liaisons like the Ancient Egyptians did. It's a form of natural selection done on a genetic level."

"Then why do vampires have it? It's not like we reproduce." I had read in Carlisle's journals that vamps can't have offspring in the normal way.

"For you guys, I think it is more about how your natures don't change that much. Your mates are somehow, and on some plane, pre-ordained. When you meet your mate, there is a missing connection that is instantly recognized and irresistibly magnetic. I suppose this mating bond came about to avoid vampires becoming insane from being so alone forever. Your mating bond gives you something to live for and keeps you from going psycho on the world. Can you imagine what a handful of crazed, bored vampires could do? Without that mating bond, I can imagine we wouldn't have even been alive to have this discussion. Some nutso, bored vampire would have destroyed humanity by now."

I shuddered at the thought because I could well imagine the horror of an unrestricted vampire.

"It's obvious when an unmated vampire hasn't met his mate yet. It's like they're missing pieces, like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. For instance, when I met Edward for the first time, I could sense his incompleteness. Though he was largely unaware of it, I knew that he had a mate somewhere out there that he'd just not met, yet."

"How do you see that?"

"I don't know. It's something that comes to me." She shrugged again and I was reminded that, though we were chatting like old girlfriends, she wasn't my girl. She wasn't even a girl. She was something magical and deep. Deeper than anyone I've met and that included Carlisle.

"When did you first meet Edward?" I asked.

"Sometime in the thirties."

I blinked again. Blinking seemed to be my go-to response for my WTF moments.

"Wow."

"I told you I was old."

"You did." I cleared my throat. I don't think I really wanted to know just how old she was.

"What was he like then?" I went on.

"As I recall, he was somber and broody. Now, I grant you he's one hunk of a man, but back in those days he had a constipated look on his face like he was really regretting that triple stacker with extra cheese at Burger King."

I laughed because I could imagine that. In fact, I'd seen pictures of Edward from before we met and that described his expression perfectly.

"But now, he looks completed and happy." She smiled.

I couldn't help but to sigh. "Yeah, he makes me pretty happy, too. It's like he's the only thing on my horizon. I don't even see other men. In fact, when Sam went _au naturel_ today as he was bringing me over, I was about as interested his body as I would be a fish's."

Leah squawked a laugh. "That boy is so proud of his pecker he'd probably move to a nudist colony if he could. The others manage to carry a pair of shorts with them when they shift so that they can be decent when they change back. Heck, even I have my ways of keeping covered, but that boy…" she shook her head.

"I hope he wasn't disappointed at my reaction then."

"Oh, don't worry about him. His girl would have his balls if she knew what he was up to. I may just have to tell her so that he'll stop with the exhibitionism."

I chuckled. She really was easy to talk to. "You understand why I am not that upset with my current condition so much now? I was destined to be with Edward. He makes me happy—complete. I understand now there was only one thing to do as far as I was concerned, even leaving out the James piece."

She nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. The boys never would, though. I needed to get them away from your family."

"I'm glad the standoff is over."

"Yep. It's good. We don't need to have you guys tied up when shit's about to hit the fan."

"What?"

"The proximity of the boys interfered with Alice's visions. The minute they got out of the way; she was bombarded with images."

"What did she see?" I tried not to sound as anxious as I suddenly felt.

"Sanctuary is under attack."

**AN: Manky means grody. Grody means nasty. So Manky means nasty. See your urban dictionary. **

**_Swiss Miss_**** is instant cocoa. It's a cheap thrill. The marshmallows make it gourmet food.**

**I quoted Jacob from the series in this when Leah describes imprinting only, she added the 'blah, blah blah.' Could you tell? **

**I've taken huge license with the Quileute culture in this story. It seems their tribe is structured around a council of men and women and they run a pretty tight ship in La Push. There are plenty of wise women and men involved in that. For the purposes of this story though, I made up Leah's position in the tribe and of course borrowed the shape-shifting wolf pack from Mrs. Meyer. I tried to treat the subject with respect but if I am off base here, please forgive.**

**But I do think Sailor Moon was a moron.**

**I've now posted the original ten chapters that I had written seven years ago, published on fanfic, then took down when I got a bad case of writer's block. It seems that my block has gone, and I can finish my unfinished stories. This is the third and last one, but now I have got to come up the rest of the story, and it's not on paper, it's in my head. This will take probably a week per chapter. Thanks for reading, so far. The rest is coming!**


	11. Arrival

The Bear

Chapter Eleven: Arrival

Suddenly, my heart went missing.

I had been in the middle of a sentence, talking to Carlisle and my brothers, when I jerked to a stop. It felt as though my guts had been torn from my body. I clutched my chest and doubled over.

Bella was gone.

She just wasn't there.

"BELLA!" I cried and took a step in the direction of our room, where I had left her.

But simultaneously, Carlisle's cell rang as Alice rushed into the room and shouted, "_The Volturi are invading!" _

My first thought was that the Volturi had taken Bella, but how could that be? I ran to our room only to find the window wide open and Bella gone. I looked around in desperation and saw there was a note on a pillow of our unmade bed, and I grabbed it.

_Dear Edward,_

_Don't do anything stupid. _

_The only way out of this is for me to go to the Quileute. I __know__ I'll be fine. Remember, I can handle myself and I won't let anything bad happen, either to me, or to you and our family._

_But please, please don't do anything stupid! I want you around when I come back. And I __will__ come back._

_ Love forever,_

_ Bella_

"Holy shit, I'm going to kill her," I muttered.

Emmett, who had been right on my heels, laughed. "Welcome to married life! Don't worry, man. She will spin those dogs in circles. But we have more important things to worry about right now. Can you hear anyone?"

I tried to swallow this very unfamiliar emotion that I would later be able to identify as mate rage. What is mate rage? It's when the person who you live for, the one you love more than life itself, pisses the absolute hell out of you. In our future life together, I would not be a stranger to this particular emotion; however, at this time, I couldn't think of anything else. I was in a bloody fury.

"Edward," Carlisle was saying as he followed us into the room. "I understand how you are feeling, son, but you must put that aside right now. Can you hear anyone's thoughts? Whose?"

With a Herculean effort, I shoved my anger aside—with Jasper's assistance, incidentally—and reached out. The rest of the family had followed Carlisle and were watching me closely.

"Damn! There're several vampires nearby. James, for one, but it seems several of the Volturi guard are here."

Carlisle quickly turned to the circuit box on the wall in the hallway and pressed several buttons. The house shut down completely. All windows slammed closed and the shutters dropped down. We were now impregnable. We had been partially secured when the wolves had been out there but attacking Vampires would require more thorough measures.

"They weren't expecting that, at least." I could hear the interlopers' confusion. They had been plotting to enter from above. They hadn't expected us to catch on so quickly.

"What's going on, Alice?" Carlisle turned to my sister, who had collapsed onto a chair.

"The farm is also under attack. Garrett and the others are managing to hold them off, but it doesn't look good there. Outside here, the guard is reconnoitering. I'll let you know when they come to a decision." The farm was our plantation in New Mexico where we grew the ingredients for SdL. It was mostly a greenhouse operation and we had built it to keep out the curious but not people—or vampires—intent upon destruction. It seems the SdL manufacturing center in rural Kansas was safe for now, but that could be because it was a decommissioned nuclear missile silo. Even vampires couldn't breach the security installed there, courtesy of the US Military. We'd need to alert Tanya and the others who lived there.

But now, there was something more important to me. "What about Bella?" I asked

Carlisle laid a hand upon my arm, "She's fine."

"How do you know?"

"That phone call I had was from Leah Clearwater. Bella is with her. She said that she would keep Bella safe and not to worry. She asked specifically that you do nothing stupid."

"Why does everyone keep _saying_ that?" I slumped onto the side of our bed and put my head in my hands.

Rosalie asked, "Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want to know the answer?"

I noticed the rest of the family was giving me a wary look and I sighed in frustration. Esme walked over to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"_Holy shit, Bella_!" I thought, "_When I get my hands on you…I'll…I'll…I'll never let you out of my sight again."_

Turning to Carlisle, Jasper, ever the tactician, asked, "What now?"

He shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. We'll have to see what the Guard decides to do next, but meanwhile, I'm calling the clans and see if anyone else is having trouble. We need to warn Kansas." The clans were the various Sanctuary enclaves located across the Americas. There were still nomadic vampires in this hemisphere, but most of them claimed allegiance to one clan in some form or another. It was to their clans they traveled to be restocked with SdL. Carlisle divided the call list between himself, Esme and Rosalie and instructed Alice and me to keep tabs on current and future happenings. Jasper and Emmett started to patrol the house.

* * *

"What do you mean Sanctuary is under attack?" I asked Leah. If my heart could have jumped any longer, it would have been in my throat.

"It seems as though all of these recent happenings have been a conspiracy…" Leah stopped as a far-away look came into her eyes. I waited impatiently for her to refocus.

"Yes, well I'll be… someone's been sneaky," she said after a few moments. She looked back at me and said, "That Bella Lugosi dude is bringing Boris, Morticia and the gang over from Italy with the intent on creating some chaos for your family. I'd thought we'd have some more time to relax before we'd have company, but…"

She picked up an old-fashioned flip cell and pushed a button. "Hey, Billy. You'll have to get the boys to patrol the perimeter. Seems the Cullens are under attack by the Volturi. I want to make sure those fools stay out of the Res. I know the boys will be tempted, but make sure they don't get a wild idea and go hunting. Also, make sure the rest of the tribe stay inside out of harm's way. Okay?"

She paused a few seconds and laughed, "No, I mean the fool vampires, not the fool wolves. Geesh, Billy."

There was another pause, and she answered, "I've got Bella safe with me. We'll be coming to shore in a bit, but I think we should stay away from La Push."

As she was talking, she went into the kitchen, opened a cupboard and pulled out two lunchbox-sized thermoses. She got a pitcher from the refrigerator that I recognized was full of SdL. She poured her personal recipe of crackberry juice into the thermoses, screwed on the lids, then put them into a kids metal She-Ra lunch box.

I giggled and she looked up to see what I was amused by, smiled and said in a dramatic voice, "_For the honor of Grayskull!"_

I burst out laughing. "Leah, you are just the best!"

"Why thank you, Bella. I think between the two of us, we'll straighten things out, but first there is something you need to know. Let's walk down to the landing and we'll go back to shore. We'll have some work to do there. I'll explain on the way."

* * *

Aro smiled in delight. Everything was falling into perfect place. The Cullens had never suspected a thing and he was finally going to gain back what the Volturi had so grudgingly given up. He would have to reward James for his help. The hunter vampire had been the one to suggest this strategy in the first place. James had discovered that the Quileute shapeshifters "blinded" little Alice's talent, that of prescience. Blinding Alice had given the Volturi the ability to move on Sanctuary without the Cullens being aware.

In the war for Sanctuary, every battle had been fought to a stalemate due to Alice's ability to foretell what the Volturi army was going to do, thus enabling Sanctuary to forestall any advantage. The Volturi had been frustrated over and over again. Aro sighed in envy. Alice's ability was uncanny. It was almost as if she could also read minds. Aro was determined, not only to win Sanctuary back, but to gain Alice and her talent for his Guard. He had spent centuries gathering the most talented Vampires ever created around him and, because of this, had been confident in his ability to conquer any opposition. His chance to not only regain the western hemisphere, but to also "gather" Alice was finally upon him.

The problem had been how could they contrive a situation so that Alice would be surrounded by the wolves for an extended time? The Quileute warriors rarely left the reservation. Alice wouldn't go onto Quileute land as the Cullens still respected the old treaty they had had with the natives. It was James who had the solution to that, as well. He had discovered that Charlie Swan and his daughter, Bella, were considered a part of the tribe, though they were Quileute only by adoption. Charlie didn't live on the reservation, so he would be easy pickings, especially for James. By slaying Charlie, the Cullens would return to Forks fulfilling their self-appointed role as the Sanctuary vampire police. Then, when James returned to Forks to slay Bella Swan and made it look like one of the Cullens did it, the wolves would wage war, ending up in a stand-off and thereby blinding Alice. It seemed this had happened exactly as James predicted it would. Now, his guard had gotten Carlisle and his coven holed up in their Washington eerie, and with them out of the way, he could triumph.

Aro leaned back in his seat as he felt the private jet begin to descend. The human attendant came into the cabin and said, "We are beginning our decent into SeaTac General aviation. The pilot has informed me that we will be landing in about twenty minutes."

Aro grasped her hand and said, "Thank you, my dear. You have been very helpful."

The attendant smiled weakly. The weird man's grasp had been as cold as death. There was something about these passengers that simply curdled her stomach. She didn't know exactly what was setting off her "spidey senses" but something was. This group had been incredibly weird. They did not want anything to eat or drink during the entire thirteen-hour flight. Checking on them occasionally during the journey, they were never sleeping, and she never once saw them use the facilities. It had been broad daylight during most of the trip, but they had kept the window shades closed the entire time. All they did during the entire flight was either to quietly converse with each other, or stare into space. She hoped her boss didn't take any future jobs from this bunch. Relieved this trip was almost over, she scooted back into the unused galley and shuddered. She'd be so glad to get home.

"Oh, Aro, she smells delicious!" Sulpicia murmured to her mate.

"Patience, my love. We shall wait until we have landed. Then, it will be time for feasting!" His companions chuckled, or at least Sulpicia, Caius and his mate, Athenodora, and their attendant Guard, Corin, did. Marcus had never laughed at anything in the last millennia. In fact, it took all Aro's resources to convince him to join them on this journey. The taciturn vampire hadn't travelled during the war, claiming that someone should stay in Voltura in case of a surprise-attack there, but Aro believed his true reason was simply because he didn't wish to go anywhere except to places he had shared with his lost love, Didyme.

Aro sighed in vexation. Didyme had been Aro's human sister, whom he had loved so much he had given her the gift of immortality; but despite this gift, she had turned on him. It had been a sad day when Aro had discovered her intended treachery, and even sadder when he had decided his only recourse was to secretly put an end to her. It was too bad she had mated with Marcus because with her death, the Volturi had lost Marcus to a large extent. That eternal bond between mates could never be severed and Didyme's death left Marcus a hollow shell of what he had been. But his gift to the Volturi was irreplaceable. He was able to sense the bonds between groups and clans, people and vampires alike. He could indicate where the weak link was and the Volturi could attack from that point, always ending in their ultimate victory, until the recent Sanctuary war. Any strategy the Volturi planned always started with Marcus' gift. The trouble was Marcus had to be in the presence of these groups in order to tell which person was vulnerable. Aro needed Marcus with them in Forks in order to use his gift. He would be needed soon.

The jet gently touched down and taxied, by Aro's request, to a remote area of the airport. The sun had set an hour before, and there was a limousine parked nearby, but outside of the airport perimeter. Generally, international travelers would go through customs in the terminal before they would be allowed to leave the airport. However, the Volturi had their own ways and felt they had no need to follow man-made laws. They could easily scale the fences that bordered the airport and depart using the limo waiting for them. The only way the human authorities would know someone had been there would be by the mysterious carnage they would leave behind.

As soon as the aircraft stopped, and the door was opened to the waiting stairway, Aro rose from his seat, turned to his comrades, and said with a gleeful snarl, "Dinnertime."


	12. Talent

The Bear

Chapter 12 Talent

"Special talent?" I was dumbfounded. I didn't have a special talent.

"Of course," insisted Leah.

We were walking at a leisurely pace back down the path I had run up earlier in the day. I didn't realize how long of a trail it had truly been. It seemed that it couldn't have been more than a few hundred feet, I had ascended it so quickly. Actually, it was closer to a half a mile and I had run up an almost vertical incline without even noticing. I used to get winded climbing the stairs at the house. Was I now Superwoman? A Mutant? An Avenger? And now, Leah is insisting that I had an even more special talent? Preposterous!

"When human beings transform, they take their old skills and talents with them. In many cases, their abilities are sharpened with the change."

I remembered Edward had told me something similar, but the way she phrased her question sparked another thought. "Human beings transform? Aren't you talking specifically about vampires?"

She smiled and cut a look at me. "I'm talking about _humans_ that transform to something else. That something else could be vampires, shapeshifters, mermaids, wizards, or, my favorite, Sailor Mars."

"What?" I was shocked. "Those are myths, fiction…made up."

Leah stopped, turned to me and said in a grave tone, "Are you made up? Am I? All myths come from truth. Wisdom is knowing where truth veers from myth and acting accordingly. You and I, my dear girl, are going to act accordingly."

She turned away from me and continued down the path. "Now, back to your special skill. You are a Shield."

"A Shield? What's that? How do you know?" I was totally lost.

She shrugged. "Things come to me. A shield is exactly what it says. People with powers can't penetrate your shield in order to manipulate your reality."

"That means?" I was still lost.

"For example, Edward can't read your mind."

"How do you know?"

Again, she shrugged. "Things come to me."

I was really getting tired of hearing that. "No really, Leah. How?"

Leah chuckled and shook her head. "It's hard to explain. I see things that normally can't be perceived by others. I can see Edward's mind reading like you'd see smoke rise from a fire. I can see Jasper's emotional manipulation like you'd smell a sweet or sour scent. I see Alice's foretelling like you'd hear a crackling sheet of cellophane. It's like that, but not exactly. I've spent a lifetime trying to interpret these 'perceptions' correctly. When I was younger, it would drive me batshit crazy. That's why I moved out here to the island." She waved her arm to indicate the woods and rock, around her. "I could get away from all those distractions when I needed to."

"Wow." I could see I was articulate as ever. Unfortunately, that wasn't something that had gotten better since my change.

Leah went on. "I am unusual, that is true, but people with my abilities have existed since mankind began, but they tended to be feared and vilified. In the past, they had been burned at stakes, stoned, drowned, ostracized—the typical human response to someone different. Now, they just put them in asylums or drug them senseless. I am lucky that I was born to a people that revered these abilities rather than feared them. It allowed me to bloom."

"You mean mental illnesses are just a form of being different?"

"Unfortunately, true mental illness is real, just like the Chicken Pox. But not all people who have been diagnosed as being mentally ill are truly mentally ill. They just have abilities that the _hoi polloi_ won't recognize and chalk up to being crazy."

"Well, you're not crazy. You're astonishing. I don't think I've ever met someone as amazing as you."

She nodded her thanks for the compliment and continued down the path.

I went on, "So, because you 'see' things, you can tell that I have a special talent like Edward and the rest?"

"That's one of the things I can do. You might say I have a surfeit of specialness. It is difficult to have these talents and navigate in 'normal' society, and, as I said, it has taken me most of my life to manage it."

"Hmmm. So, you shapeshift, see abilities, and you see the future?"

Smiling, Leah shook her head. "No, I cannot see the future. However, I do have something that I call 'long vision.' I can see what is happening right now, at the moment, in any part of the world, I think, as long as it has something to do with the Quileute. It helps me protect my people."

"So, seeing the Volturi arrive as you did had something to do with your tribe?"

"Yes, exactly. From what I can 'see,' Aro figured out that our warriors interfere with Alice's ability. He wants to find out why and how he can use it to his advantage. He's known about our tribe for a while, but had never been interested in us, any more than you'd be interested in an ant hill in your neighbor's backyard. It worries me that he's finally decided to pay attention. He certainly doesn't mean us well, but that's fair. We don't mean him well, either."

"He sounds like a prize asshole."

Leah chortled. "He is. It's one of _his_ special talents. Now, back to _your_ special talent. To me, your shield looks like a bubble that fits closely around you. It's impermeable to just about anything metaphysical."

"So, I'm safe from spooks and the paranormal?"

Leah squawked a laugh. "You could put it that way. But I bet you can also shield others, if you choose."

"Really?"

"Most certainly. And I think there is something else you can do with your shield."

We had reached the landing. There were two Quileute men waiting for us with a boat, evidently to take us to shore. They weren't shapeshifters, just regular guys and they smelled to me like a pan double chocolate chunky brownies, fresh out of the oven. Saliva started to fill my mouth, but suddenly I realized it wasn't saliva. It was venom. Oh, oh.

In a panic, I looked at Leah who calmly reached into her lunch box and handed me a thermos. "You might be a bit peckish. Drink that while we go ashore."

I gratefully took the thermos, unscrewed the lid as nonchalantly as I could manage, and attempted what I hoped was a refined sip. I probably looked like I was shot-gunning the stuff, though.

"Yum!" I said. "This tastes like peppermint schnapps!"

Leah smiled. "I thought you'd like it. Just the thing for a cold, rainy day."

We pulled ashore just as I finished, and I handed the empty thermos back to Leah. "Thank you."

She grinned and nodded, then turned to the men and said, "Thanks, gentlemen. Please go back and tell Billy everything is fine here. Bella and I are going to light a fire."

Leah crossed the sandy shingle and headed to a sheltered nook in the cliffside bordering the beach. I was surprised to see that it had a fire pit in it, already stacked with wood and kindling, just waiting to be lit. Leah took out an old zippo lighter and quickly had a nice blaze going.

"Here," she said, "Pull up a log and we'll see what you can do."

And then we began _Shielding 101_. I found, that though Leah was a taskmaster, she was an excellent teacher. Soon, I could see the "bubble" shield that Leah saw. With some concentration, I could expand its range to the point I was shielding Leah as well as myself. She had me practice expanding it to different sizes and retracting it over and over until I really didn't have to think about it. I could just do it.

"This is incredible!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, but you always did something like that, even though you didn't know it."

"Really?"

"Yep. Charlie could do it, too."

"Oh." My dad. I discovered a vampire heart could hurt just as badly as a human one could. "I really miss him."

"We all do but take consolation; he is in a much better place than here."

Yeah. That's what everyone says when someone dies.

I guess my expression gave away my thoughts, because Leah put her hand on my arm and added, "He really is."

For some reason, I believed her and the pain in my chest lightened a bit.

"Now, Bella, your gift is wonderful but I believe there is more you can do with it than you've done so far."

"What's that?"

"There are many vampires coming here, or who are already here, that have special talents."

"Have you seen their skills?"

"I know of them. Their leader is Aro. Like your mate, he can read minds. His gift is a little different than Edward's because he can read not only what a person is thinking at the moment, but every thought they ever had. However, he must touch his target to do it. Edward doesn't have to touch someone; he just needs to be in their vicinity to read someone's mind, but he can only read what they are thinking right then.

"There is another vampire of the guard, Jane, who can cause a person to feel excruciating, fiery pain just by looking at them. She's a great weapon because she can incapacitate any threat, as long as she can see them."

"How do you know this?"

"Carlisle told me."

I barked a laugh. "I thought you'd just shrug and say, '_Things come to me_.'"

"Well, people tell me things, too. Carlisle and I have had some very interesting discussions over the years. I have never met the Volturi, so I haven't _seen_ them in action, but I'm very interested in them. Aro has made a hobby of gathering talent. It's what has kept him in power."

"I thought there were three Volturi?"

"Yes, there are Aro, Caius, and Marcus, but Aro is truly the leader of the three. Caius and Marcus don't even realize how he manipulates them."

"Really?"

"Carlisle told me. Did you know he visited them for a time?"

I nodded. It had been in his journals.

"While he was there, he learned much. More than I think the Volturi realized. You see, Carlisle is a gifted observer. I think that's why he decided to become a doctor. He watches people and how they react. He can then easily figure out what is making them sick, or why they act the way they do. While he was in Volterra, he noticed that certain vampires had gifts that caused others to respond in ways they were totally unaware. Aro uses that to his advantage, always."

"What can they do?"

"I've told you about Aro and his mind reading, Jane and her fiery stare. Now, Jane has a brother who was turned at the same time she was. His name is Alec. He can divorce people from their senses. His victims suddenly can't hear, see, feel, smell, or taste. It totally disables them.

"Another talented vampire is Chelsea. She can tighten or loosen the bonds people have between each other. She can make her target become utterly loyal to whatever or whomever she chooses. Or, she can break up a seemingly unbreakable bond between people. Aro uses Chelsea to gather talented Vampires. She is very effective."

"Then why didn't Aro have Chelsea keep Carlisle in Volterra?"

"Carlisle was interesting to Aro, but he didn't have anything to offer the Volturi talentwise, so Carlisle was free to stay or go as he chose. He left them on good terms, at least at that time."

"I guess you can't say the same is true, now."

"Not at all. Another talented vampire Aro uses quite effectively is Corin. The other two Volturi think her purpose is solely to guard their mates, Sulpicia and Athenodora. But she's more than that. She's the vampiric equivalent of Xanax. Her job is to soothe, calm, and emotionally satiate all the Volturi, including Caius and Marcus, so that they are completely satisfied to stay just where they are—under Aro's thumb.

"There are other Voturi guard members with other talents. Demetri is a tracker, sort of like James, but better. He tracks by a person's mind versus their scent, which is the way James hunts. There is also Felix who is all muscle and incredibly strong. Heidi is super attractive to people and can convince them to do anything she wants. Renata is like you, a shield, but you are much stronger. If Aro ever found out about you, he'd fire Renata and try to bind you to the Volturi."

"That ain't going to happen."

"So says everyone before they meet the Guard. There are a few other Guard members, mostly mates of the talented ones, but they aren't any more dangerous than a typical vampire."

"Sounds like a fun group. So, what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, here's what I think. I believe your shield has two sides."

"Two sides?"

"Yes. The side that faces you and keeps things out, and the side that faces others that keeps things in. I am pretty sure you can flip your shield, so that its bubble envelopes your target, but inside out, and their talent can't penetrate it and manifest on anyone else. Imagine that you're blowing bubbles, but instead of bursting, your shield bubble snaps around your target. You want to try?"

This was a hard one. We worked and worked on it. I got to the point where I could divide my shield into separate bubbles, one that surrounded me and one or more that sort of floated, but I couldn't control them.

"You're almost there," Leah said encouragingly.

"I can't seem to make the floaty bubble thingy move. It just hovers."

"Try using strong emotion, like hate or fear, to get it to where you want it to be. Sort of snap the emotion at the bubble towards your target. Think of your emotion as a pool stick, the bubble as a cue ball, and your target as the pocket."

I shut my eyes to concentrate. I thought of the grief that I'd tried to ignore and tamp down since my dad died. When that filled me, I opened my eyes to see the bubble, and I directed my grief at the bubble, but then flicked it towards, Leah, who had volunteered to be my guinea pig. The bubble moved a few feet closer to Leah.

"It moved! Did you see?" I asked.

"I saw, but now you have to actually get it to envelope me. Try a different emotion, a stronger one."

Leah sat patiently on a log next to me. She had picked up a walking stick—a piece of driftwood, really—and was leaning on it.

"What's stronger than grief?"

"That depends upon the individual. You and your dad were still waters but you both had very deep feelings. You felt this depth made you vulnerable, so you both learned to hide it from the world. You're going to have to learn to overcome your natural inclination to hide your vulnerability and use it to direct your shield."

That stopped me cold. This woman could read me like a book, and she was one-hundred percent accurate. How did she figure me out so easily? She knew more about me than I did. This made me feel very insecure and the bubble I had been trying to push suddenly snapped back into the bubble that had remained around me.

"Ah," said Leah. "Your fear of being vulnerable is a pretty strong emotion. Have you got one stronger, do you think?"

"I don't know." I sighed and turned inward and thought—or rather, felt—which of my emotions is stronger than my sense of self-preservation? Immediately I thought of how, without a care for myself, I had jumped from our bedroom into the arms of an army of wolves who would have been happy to see me dead. I hadn't even given it a second thought and, of course, my strongest emotion was staring at me all along. That nagging feeling that I was missing half of myself, that ache in my soul, the feeling that was overpowering—my love for Edward. I dwelt on that feeling and it filled me, lifted my heart, and suddenly my fears were left behind.

Smiling, I looked at Leah, focused and almost immediately a shield bubble darted from me, snapped around Leah and pop! It was done.

I heard Leah gasp and say uncertainly, "You did it. I'm totally blind."

I was so proud of my achievement that at first Leah's bemusement went right over my head, but at the tone in her voice, I stopped my inward high-fiving and looked at her. She had a totally blank look on her beautiful face, then suddenly she transformed into a tiny, old lady, with pure white hair, and a face as wrinkled as a dried apple. Her knobby fingers clutched the stick she had been holding and she said, "Please, Bella, call your bubble back. I can't see or hear."

It dawned on me that Leah, in real life was both blind and deaf. "I'm right on it," I said, but then realized she couldn't hear me, so I reached over and patted her hand. She let go of the stick and clutched me.

"Please, release me. Let me go." Her little old lady voice wobbled with fear, but being Leah, she just had to quote an old Englebert Humperdinck song. She was such a character and I loved her.

Not letting go of her hand, I tried to figure out how to pop the shield I had put around her. I focused and sucked in my breath, intent on releasing my friend. And it worked.

She heaved a great sigh and looked at me in wonder and gratitude. "Well, that was intense!"

"I'd say so. You are very brave for volunteering to be my target."

She slowly transformed back into Sailor Mars and laughed, her huge anime eyes twinkling in the firelight. "Now you know all my secrets."

"Your secrets?"

Nodding, she said, "That I'm old, blind and deaf. Not many people know that."

"Have you always been?"

"Well, I've always been blind and deaf, but I've not always been old. When your reverse shield enveloped me, it was like I was cut off from the world—from the tribe. I didn't like that feeling a bit."

"Did the shield interfere with your shape-shifting ability?"

"No. I just was so befuddled, I shifted back to my natural form, trying to find my center. You won't be able to interfere with a shape-shifter's ability to change because it operates on an internal, individual basis. In other words, anyone whose talent needs a target is fair game for your reverse shield—so my long vision, and my talent sensing where shielded, but my shape-shifting wasn't, you see?"

I nodded. It made sense.

Dusting off her hands, she giggled and stood. "My talents let me see and hear well enough, sometimes better than sighted and hearing people can."

Rising as well, I said, "So, what do we do now?

Leah stared into space for a bit and then said, "I think I'm hungry. How about you?"

"Always it seems, anymore."

She handed me the last thermos of SdL and said, "I bet Harry's got some fish he'll fry up for me. Let's go. After that, we have some visiting to do."

AN:

The talents of the Volturi, in fact, this whole story was derived from Stephanie Meyer's series, _The Twilight saga, _of course. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just having fun thinking of a different way of manipulating SM's universe.

And thank you to my dear, better half, who is proof-reading this. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.


	13. Gambits

**The Bear**

**Chapter 13: Gambits**

"So, Edward, who is here?" Carlisle asked. We were all sitting around the dining room table, planning strategy, which so far only consisted of sitting around the dining room table and doing nothing. I was so frustrated.

"More vampires have arrived in the last few hours. They now include all the Volturi guards with powers: Jane, Alec, Renata, Felix, Chelsea, and Demetri. James is skulking about with Victoria, but they seem to be on the outskirts, not a part of the rest."

"What is the Guard planning to do? Can you tell?"

"They are waiting for Aro and the rest to arrive. Beyond that, they don't know. Victoria wants to leave, but James is staying to see our downfall."

"The rest? Do you mean all the Volturi are coming?"

"Apparently. Aro, and Caius, of course; but also, Marcos and the two wives."

"That is most unusual. Unheard of, in fact. Marcos, Sulpicia, and Athenodora never leave Voltura. I wonder what Aro means by that?"

"I don't know, but I may be able to tell you when they get here." I shrugged. I could see no reason for this move by Aro.

Jasper said, "We should attack while they wait. Perhaps we'll catch them off guard."

I shook my head. "Jane is watching the house very closely. She would love to defeat us before the Volturi get here. She's decided that if we show our heads, she and Alec will incapacitate us, and Felix, Demetri and the rest will behead us one at a time, at their leisure. She even plans to have our heads arranged along the porch railing while our bodies burn in the field out front. She's hoping it is what Aro will first see when he arrives."

"She's a gory piece of work, isn't she?" Alice remarked.

Carlisle said, "She's probably the most psychotic of all the Guard, and that includes Aro. Alice, what do you see?"

"I see what Edward describes, except to add that our demise was predicated by someone," and she looked hard at me as she spoke, "doing something _stupid_ by trying to sneak out of the house. The other, less gruesome outcome, is a big blankness and a crashing headache for me."

Rosalie asked, "A blankness like what happens after you cease to exist?" She sounded frightened. Emmett put a comforting arm around her.

"No. The only other time I've ever seen blankness was when the wolves were around. So, I'm thinking the wolves may come. Maybe Bella has something to do with it?"

"Speaking of Bella, do you see anything about her?" I couldn't help but to ask.

Alice looked puzzled. "Yes. It's so weird. She's surrounded by feathers and she's laughing."

"What's she laughing at?"

"I don't know, but she looks very happy. Tickled."

"_Tickled_." I thought about that. What could tickle her? I could come up with nothing, except that she wouldn't be happy or tickled unless we were together, so that was a good thing. It gave me hope.

"Well, I trust that's how things will work out," Carlisle said. "Meanwhile let's get back to work. Esme, how are our supplies?"

Esme nodded and gestured that Carlisle should follow her and they left for the kitchen and its pantry.

"Come on, Babe," Emmett said to Rosalie. "Let's go down to the weight room. Nothing like a good work out to steady your nerves."

Rosalie scoffed, but did as Emmett suggested.

Jasper and Alice slipped quietly out of the room. Jasper had a perch on the third floor of the house that gave him vantage of the whole property without being seen from the outside. Alice usually spent her time up there with him looking to the future, while he looked to the present.

I sat by myself in the dining room, missing Bella as though I was missing half my body. It was so infuriating to sit here and do nothing while she was in danger. But she had asked me to keep my head—otherwise known around here as not doing anything stupid—and I was trying to do that. Logically, I realized the worst thing would be to try to leave the house. With the guard out there, I wouldn't get far. If only I could talk to Bella, just to hear her voice and make sure she was okay.

Deciding to join Alice and Jasper, I stood and happened to notice Carlisle's cell charging on a side table. Didn't that Walalo woman call Carlisle recently? Before I could help myself, I had Carlisle's phone in my hand. Of course, I knew his password. I knew everyone's—a benefit of being able to read minds. However, in the past, my honor had never let me misuse my knowledge. But this was different, I convinced myself. There isn't much honor when you believe your soul is in peril.

Scrolling through Carlisle's recent call list, I saw one number identified as _L.C_. It was the last incoming call.

I tapped those initials, and a few seconds later heard a phone ring over the line.

Then, a woman's voice, "Hello?"

"Uh, hello, Ms Clearwater. I am Edward Cull…"

"Hello?" the woman's voice repeated.

I spoke louder and more distinctly, "Hello, this is Edward Cullen. Is Bella…"

"Sorry, I can't come to the phone right now. Don't bother leaving a message, as I never check this thing. But don't worry, if it's important, I'll call you back. If it is an emergency, I'm probably already there." Beep.

"DAMN!" It had been her voice mail recording.

I just stopped myself from hurling Carlisle's phone at the wall. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and gently placed the phone back down on the table. With no further to-do, I stomped upstairs to keep watch with Jasper and Alice.

Bella was _never_ leaving my side again.

* * *

"This place is nothing but trees," Sulpicia commented as she peered through the limousine windows.

"It is rather wild, isn't it? So different from Italy," Athenodora said. "I wonder how it smells?" She lowered her window a bit and inhaled. "Ohhh, lovely. So fresh and vibrant. It reminds me of my youth."

"Do you think we could get Caius to stop so we could wander a bit?"

Nodding, Athenodora leaned forward to tap on the glass that separated the driver from the passengers but before she touched the window, Corin remarked, "The forest is probably very dirty and has many nasty insects."

Sighing, as a wave of serenity suddenly washed over her, Athenodora leaned back and said, "Yes, of course you're right."

Marcus sat behind them, in the very back seat, staring into space and pining, as always, for his long-lost wife, Didyme. Slowly refocusing on the passing scenery, he was unsure of how he got here in the first place. He hated everything about this journey. He sat up and looked at his fellow passengers, and then to his two brethren sitting in the front. But before he could speak, Corin caught his eye and smiled. He slowly relaxed forgetting his unrest, more than content to stare at nothing.

"_I surely have my hands full on this journey_," thought Corin. "_I hope Milord knows what he's doing."_

* * *

"Can't we get rid of those two?" Chelsea murmured to Jane. "They have no allegiance to the Volturi and make us vulnerable."

Jane looked over Chelsea's shoulder at the vampire couple, standing together on the far side of the glade that surrounded the Cullen house. "No. Aro insists that they be left alone, but we certainly aren't responsible for them. They can't make us vulnerable unless we include them as part of the guard. As long as they stay out of our way, we're to ignore them."

"I feel very unsettled about them. We should tell Felix to deal with them if the situation here becomes unstable."

Immediately, Victoria, the female of the vampire couple under discussion, grabbed her mate's hand and pulled him into the cover of the surrounding forest. "James, we must go. We're going to be killed here, one way or the other."

"No, we won't. The Volturi owe me and the Cullens can't hurt us. There's no way they can escape. They're the ones who are going to burn and I am going to see it happen. We'll see how smug they are when they are ripped to shreds and incinerated. I hope I can personally see to that preachy ass, Carlisle." James smashed his hand through an oak that stood near them. The mighty tree shuddered and shed leaves but still stood, though with a hole through its trunk.

"You don't need to take it out on the vegetation, James. Come. I know what will please you." She rubbed against him, like a cat. As a matter of fact, that is what she had always reminded James of, a ginger kitten, skittish but playful, and hard to tame. He smiled and let her lead him away. He knew nothing would happen before the Volturi triumvirate got here anyway. He and Victoria could play for a while, but it wouldn't distract him from his current objective—the destruction of Sanctuary and its bogus promise of SdL.

Garrett stared out of the second-story window of the main farm building. He was studying the trees that bordered the farm's greenhouses, or rather, what was prowling in the woods there. It seemed the attackers had eased off. It had been a few wild days when, out of nowhere, the farm had been surrounded by unseen assailants; they could only be vampires. They only reason the farm had been able to hold them off this long was by the fortuitous arrival of the Irish Clan the day before. Siobhan was a talented vampire who was able to affect the outcome of any situation through will-power alone. With Kate's power and the 'luck of the Irish,' they'd been able to beat off any sorties from what they had learned was part of the Volturi guard.

Kate appeared at his side and put her arm through his. "See anything, _Láska_?"

Garret put his hand on hers and pulled her close. He smiled into her impossibly blue eyes. She had called him _Láska, _the Slovenian word for beloved. Even amid all this turmoil, he could hardly believe how brilliantly his existence had changed in the last few years. He, the most nomadic of the nomads, settled down to this domesticated life with a woman who had become the apple of his eye. Oh well, he had been a farmer before the war, before his change, and the life had always appealed to him. Grant you, farming had changed in the two hundred plus years since then, but not so much that he didn't easily pick up the rhythm of the seasons and pride in the fruit of his labors.

It was strange how his _human-ness_ had resurrected itself at the farm. Before, when he was mortal, he lived on the frontier of colonial America and the first thing a frontiersman did was to secure his homestead. Even though Carlisle hadn't suggested it when building the farm, Garrett always took a defensive approach to its layout and design. It had come in handy. When they had been attacked, they had been able to quickly harvest the produce that was ready, secure the seedlings, and retreat to the main building, all at vampire speed. He and Kate had discovered that her powerful electric shock talent could travel through conductive wires, just like electricity, so he had set a perimeter of fencing she could charge by simply touching the conductors. It worked like a charm, much to the chagrin of the Volturi guard who tried crossing the barriers. Now that all was safe inside the compound, they could wait here indefinitely. They had plenty of SdL, but Garrett knew that wasn't the case with Carlisle and his kin besieged as they were in Washington.

"I was thinking, my darling, of trying a new approach," he said.

"Yes? What, then?" Kate cuddled into his side, her favorite place to be.

"I think there are only three vampires out there, now. Esme called earlier to report that more had shown up in Forks, so I'm thinking that's where the others went."

"So, we can overpower these?"

"I think we could, but I have a better idea."

A few hours later, Garrett appeared at the perimeter with four glasses and a tankard. He was waving a white handkerchief—something that Vampires never had a need for, but his 18th century sensibilities refused to allow him to go without. He walked up to the Kate-electrified fence and stopped. The three Guardsmen were quickly aware of his presence, but they were hidden in the woods nearby.

"Good afternoon, gents," Garrett said. "I see that your numbers have diminished and since we've come to an impasse, I speculate that watching us watch you is thirsty work, so I thought I'd bring you something to drink. Do you want to try it and see what the hullaballoo is all about? I promise, I won't tell your boss." He waggled the tankard back and forth so that the SdL it contained sloshed around.

There was no response at first. The three guards, Afton, Santiago, and Leonard, had felt a little resentful that they were left behind when the others—their mates—were summoned to Forks. After all, though their superiors didn't want to admit it, it was plain they weren't going to overcome this Sanctuary outpost. They didn't have the manpower and the terrible shock that Kate could give was a definite deterrent. To top it off, they were in the middle of nowhere USA and had been forbidden to hunt, since they were not to draw attention to themselves by the humans in the neighborhood. Besides, they were bored and missed their mates. So, they conspired.

"What's the harm in trying it?" Santiago asked.

Afton shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it could poison us."

Leonard snorted. "Af, we're vampires. We can't be poisoned. I've always wanted to try that stuff, just to see what all the noise was about."

"Yeah, Afton. The girls aren't here. No one will ever know. Aren't you just a little curious? Wouldn't hurt to try—besides, I'm getting hungry," Santiago said.

"You're always hungry," Afton retorted.

"Don't tell me _you_ aren't. You skipped the last hunt we went on before we came here to have a little romp with your wife. I bet she hunted on the way to Washington, leaving you to sit here and starve."

Afton sighed in disgust. "I'm not drinking that stuff. If you want it go ahead. I'm staying here."

"Suit yourself," Leonard said. Turning to Santiago, he nodded his head and said, "Let's go."

So, Leonard and Santiago took Garrett up on his offer and had their first drink in centuries.

"Oh, man, this is good!" Santiago said, half in shock.

"Yeah. Better than type O, that's for sure." Leonard held his cup out for more.

Smiling, Garrett poured more SdL into Leonard's cup and said, "You know what SdL stands for, right?"

"It's something in Portuguese, isn't it?" Santiago said.

Nodding, Garrett said, "Yes, but in plain English, I call it _Freedom_."

* * *

It was hours past midnight when the limousine turned onto the hidden driveway that led to the Cullen mansion. Aro was impatient to see what awaited him. He had called all his talent here, leaving the rest of the Guard to continue the battle with the Sanctuary Farm. It was strange that he hadn't heard from those recently, but he wasn't worried. He believed the farm was not constructed to be defended and there were only a few Sanctuary vampires there to do so. It was only a matter of time. If the source of SdL could be obliterated, his objective of dominating Sanctuary would be easily accomplished.

The limo rolled to a stop on the edge of the large meadow that surrounded the Cullen house. As Aro got out, four dark caped Vampires stepped out of the forest to greet him. The moon was high in the sky and it cast a silvery-blue light that softly illuminated the scene.

"Welcome, Aro," said Jane, the smallest in stature of his minions, but clearly their leader.

Aro nodded his head to acknowledge her greeting, as well as those behind her. "Has there been any change here?"

"No. We have been watching them closely, but they have not stirred. We await your orders."

"Hmmm." Aro nodded, as his brethren and wives gathered round him. He pointed to the far edge of the meadow and said, "We've brought some comforts with us. Please set them up there, so that we can rest while we wait. I believe in the morning we shall have something that will spur Carlisle and his family to action."

Felix and Demetri went to the back of the car and opened its trunk. Among the folded marquee and camp chairs was the 'something' Aro had in mind: the bound and terrified attendant from the private jet.

He doubted the Cullens would allow them to murder her in front of them without some sort of a heroic response, futile though it would be.

Turning to his wife, he held out his arm and said, "Come, Sulpicia, and tell me how you like your new home."

**AN: I pulled all the characteristics of the Vampires told in this story from The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. I wonder if Stephenie knew how helpful this book would be to fanfiction writers.**

**Also, I took a little liberty…though Afton is Chelsea's mate in canon, I sort of made up that Santiago had a mate who had powers, and poor Leonard is completely made up. In my mind, I have them paired with Renata and Corin, but they weren't so in canon, to my knowledge.**

**Thanks to my husband for proofing this for me. If there're any mistakes, they are mine. He informs me that he doesn't much care for vampire stories. He doesn't like Outlander, either. **


	14. Power

The Bear

Chapter 14: Power

Leah pushed her plate away and sat back with a satisfied sigh. "Harry, you fry the best fish I have ever had in my life. That was delicious."

Harry bashfully nodded. "My take on the old family recipe, as you should know."

"I could detect elements of your Granny's flair there, but it's still unique and all your own." She stood and patted Harry on the back. I had noticed that she had subtly shifted her appearance as we walked towards Harry's house to that of a typical, young Quileute woman—fine featured, long, straight black hair, and laughing black eyes. We were dressed the same: blue jeans, tees, and plaid shirts, under waterproofed hoodies. This wasn't surprising, as she had loaned me a change of clothes back at her house and I was still dressed in them. It seemed all the Quileute had a thing for plaid. Maybe that's where Charlie had got it from.

"Do you have those thermoses I gave you?" Leah asked Harry.

"Yes, Auntie." Harry went over to the refrigerator and took out several flagons. I looked at them hopefully. Could this be more SdL?

Leah packed them in an old Army backpack she had been carrying. Evidently, the She-ra lunchbox wasn't big enough to hold them all. Looking at me, she said, "I made extra."

"Thank you, Leah. I truly appreciate it."

"Well, it's not a good thing to have a hungry vampire roaming around the place, if you know what I mean."

Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable, as he was reminded of my transformation.

Feeling sorry that my situation had cast a pall, I said, "Harry, you must know I'd never hurt you or anyone of the tribe."

He nodded, but still looked skeptical.

Leah elbowed Harry in the ribs and said, "You'd better get used to it. She's going to be around awhile."

Smiling without showing my teeth to try to look as harmless as I could, I changed the subject. "Harry, why do you call Leah '_Auntie_'?"

He said, "We're related—distantly. For me, _Walalo_ is too formal. _Leah_ is too informal. _Auntie_ is just easy. She's always been _Auntie_ to me."

Leah got a calculating look in her eye as she looked at me. "Harry here is my brother's great-great-grandson." She was watching to see how I reacted to this bit of information.

I didn't react gracefully, that's for sure. I probably looked like a stunned mackerel, mouth hanging open and the whites showing all around my eyes. Both Leah and Harry laughed.

"I told you that I've been around a while."

"You did, but how?"

"You ask me that when _you_ are immortal? However, there is a difference between the two of us. I live a normal, if prolonged life. I was born. I age. I will die. Though you were born, you won't age, and you won't die unless you meet a violent ending."

I was taking this all in, still in shock.

Leah stepped close to me, took my hand, and said, "All the family that I knew in my earlier years have been dead for long, long years: mother, father, sisters, brothers, friends, lovers—all gone. I mourn them every day of my life. Let me tell you, being the last one standing sucks."

Nodding towards Harry, she said, "These guys fill my heart, but never the hole left by those gone before. The echo that my loved ones have left in my soul still resonates. There are times when I wish I could finally join them."

At that moment, the wheeze and grunt of an old truck announced it was pulling up in front of Harry's house. Looking out the window, I could see Billy's old pickup come to a stop in the glow of the porch light. Jake hopped out of the driver's side and went to help Billy out of the passenger's seat and into his wheelchair. Leah met them at the door.

"It's about time you got here," she said to a rather disgruntled looking Billy.

"I will follow orders, _Walalo_, even though I don't agree with them." He stared resentfully at me. That felt like a cold slap in the face. This, my almost-uncle who used to consider me as a daughter, was now looking at me like I was a steaming pile dog poop.

Leah cleared her throat and said, "Billy, you need to remember your manners. There are many things you don't know about, yet. I'd appreciate a better attitude, son." Now, in appearance Billy looked old enough to be Leah's grandfather so it was funny to hear her dress him down, as though he was a backwards thirteen-year-old. I tried to look anywhere but at Billy, not wanting to add to his embarrassment, but I was rather pleased that Leah had put him in his place.

He sighed, grumbled under his breath, then rolled forward into Harry's living room.

"The dirt is in the truck bed, _Walalo_," Jake said.

Dirt? Why would Leah want dirt?

"Good, good. Now, take that folding chair on the porch and put it in the truck bed. That's where I will sit with Bella. Who's going to drive?"

"I will drive, Auntie," Harry said. "Jake and the boys are going with us."

"That is also very good. We'll have a bang-up time, I know. Let's go."

Leah led me out to the old rust-bucket and we both climbed into, or rather, onto the mound of sandy dirt that filled the back. Jake handed up a beat-up folding lawn chair that Leah opened and put into the bed of the truck. She sat down and took off her shoes, poured a handful of the dirt into each one, then put them back on. The truck had started up the road as she was doing this, while I sat in the pile of dirt watching her in complete bafflement.

"What are you doing, Leah?"

She looked at me and grinned. "I can't leave the reservation. It's where my power comes from, so we're bringing some of it with us. The dirt in my shoes is just insurance."

"Have you done this before?"

"Oh, yes. How do you think I get into town to satisfy my anime fix?"

Just then, I noticed a whole pack of wolves of various sizes and colors running through the woods along the side of the road. Leah waved at them and smiled. There was a chorus of yips and barks in response.

As we turned onto the 101, I asked, "We are headed to the Cullen's house, right?"

"Right. Larry, Moe, and Curly Volturi are there and they are going to learn a lot about the efficacy of Quileute dirt. Now, Bella, here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

Power.

It is what had motivated Aro since his birth and had become an obsession since his transformation. He had spent his entire existence plotting to gain more and more influence and, ultimately, the control of the world around him. The thrill of manipulating everything and everyone was intoxicating, and he was proud of his innate cleverness to get what he wanted. His only failure, in all his years, was Sanctuary and now he had corrected that. It was his time to gloat. He had his hands at the throats of the only people who had ever eluded his grasp and he reveled in his triumph. After he had the Cullens dispatched, and 'gathered' Alice, he was moving the Volturi here to Carlisle's compound as a testimony to any who would question their right to reign supreme.

He heard a whimper from the woman lying in the corner of the marquee where he and the rest of the Volturi were taking their ease as they awaited the sunrise. He looked at her, lying on her side, her hands and legs bound, a gag in her mouth, and abject fear in her eyes. He could hear her thundering heartbeat and was a tad concerned that she'd expire before she could be used. Humans were such delicate creatures.

"Corin, could you please untie our guest and _put her more at ease_?"

Nodding, Corin inched around Aro, careful not to touch him. She had no wish for him to read her thoughts at the moment. Frankly, she thought he was mad to drag his retinue out here. It was all she could do to keep the wives and Marcos sanguine. Adding a panicked human to the mix was almost more than she could manage.

Smiling sweetly at the victim, Corin sent a wave of calmness towards her and bent to untie her bindings. "Here, you'll be much more comfortable out of these and sitting upright." She looked at Felix and nodded towards an empty chair, silently requesting him to bring it nearer to the woman.

As Corin helped the poor lady onto the seat, she said, "I'll take your gag off, but you must be careful not to shriek. Aro doesn't like unnecessary screaming."

The woman took a deep breath and nodded in compliance. She had absolutely no comprehension of her current reality. Except for the Weirdo passengers, it had seemed a normal workday for her, up until the very end when a red whirlwind had whipped through the jet. Suddenly, she had been held in the Head Weirdo's arms as all hell broke out in the cockpit and on the tarmac below. He had held her so tightly she couldn't move, but she could hear the screams of her coworkers. She must have fainted because the next thing she knew, she was tied up in a cramped, dark space. When she tried to sit up, she hit her head and realized she must be in the trunk of a car. She could sense they were moving. So, she had been kidnapped, but for what purpose? She was an unlikely target. Her folks didn't have any money. So, if not for ransom, then what? She was afraid to speculate what these Weirdos might do to her when they reached their destination.

She wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited her when they finally stopped. A new, Bigger Weirdo lifted her out of her prison. It was dark out, but a full moon illuminated a large house, a huge yard, and the woods beyond. But what had drawn her eye was the group of people standing next to the one she recognized as the Head Weirdo. They looked like the emo-est bunch of goths she'd ever seen. All had pallid complexions, morbid expressions, black clothes, and, of all things, wore capes. It was so last decade to be ludicrous. Really, she'd gone through her own emo stage back-in-the-day; had worn the makeup, wrote self-obsessively in her diary, and listened to _Green Day_ on repeat. But that was when she had been a teenager. These Weirdos were well beyond that age. She'd have laughed at how ridiculous they looked, but she was too scared.

Apparently, she was having a nightmare. It _must_ be a nightmare probably caused by that spicy Rigatoni she had had in Italy. She couldn't wait to wake up.

* * *

"Carlisle, they have a woman—a human woman—out there! They plan to sacrifice her once the sun comes up to draw us out." I spoke with urgency; the true evilness behind the plans I could see formulating in Aro's mind shocked me with their cruelty. I shouldn't have been surprised. He had always been merciless during the previous conflict.

"We must do something!" Carlisle exclaimed. He was the most compassionate person I had ever known, willing to risk everything if it saved an innocent soul. He certainly was the opposite of Aro.

"But what can we do?" Jasper asked. "If we go out there, we'll be attacked, and we don't have any weapons strong enough to overcome Jane and Alec."

"If we stay in here for much longer, we'll be driven mad by hunger. We had the last meal of SdL last night," Esme added.

With an unusual grimness in his tone, Emmett remarked, "So, we either die trying to save the woman, or die when we are starved out."

I could only think of one thing to do. "Since we haven't much choice, I have a suggestion. Some of us can create a distraction, while the others grab the woman and escape."

"No!" Alice cried. "That would mean death for some of us."

"It's either that or we _all_ die," I said. "And there's something else. Aro knows you can foretell the future. He even thinks you can read minds."

"_I _can read minds?" Alice was surprised. Of course, mind-reading was my talent, not hers.

"So he believes. He doesn't know about my ability and I'd like to keep it that way because if he did know, he'd probably try to capture me, as he plans to capture you."

"What?" Jasper said with a small growl.

Carlisle placed a hand on Alice's shoulder and said, "I won't let that happen, Alice. I am who Aro wants."

"No, Carlisle. He wants to exterminate all of us except for Alice, and maybe Jasper. He knows that Alice would turn into another Marcos if she lost her mate and he is in no mind to take on another mourning vampire. The only thing for us to do is to send Jasper with Alice, Esme, and Rosalie to rescue the woman and escape, while the rest of us draw their fire."

"No!" Esme and Rosalie cried. They didn't want to lose their mates, either.

Suddenly realizing that I'd never see Bella again, I was aflame with agony, but I knew she'd be safe if she stayed with the Quileute. I couldn't bear to see the rest of my family die before my eyes. "I will be the distraction. The rest of you rescue the girl."

"You'll need help, Edward," Esme said in a determined voice. "Carlisle and I will join you."

It took us another hour before we finally agreed upon who would draw the Volturis' attention and who would rescue the girl, and that only occurred when I pointed out it would soon be sunrise. We decided not to divide mates. Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Alice would rescue the girl and Esme, Carlisle and I would provide distractions. It was no use in pointing out that I was already divided from my mate. We fleshed out our plans and timing and then got ready to implement it. Suddenly, Alice doubled over and cried out in pain.

Jasper caught her. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Clutching her head, she said, "My skull feels like it's going to explode."

Then, I could hear them—many voices, baying for vengeance and that mistakable pull, that magnetic force, that I shall always desire, always cherish.

I said, "The Quileute are here…and my Bella."


	15. Stayin' Alive

**The Bear**

**Chapter 15: Stayin' Alive **

"It's time. We must go back," James said.

"No! Truly, James there's nothing there for us except death! I know it!"

"Victoria, I've told you we have nothing to fear. Let's go."

The two vampires were standing in a glade a few miles from the Cullen house, just before sunrise. Victoria felt an overpowering dread. Self-preservation was her natural talent, if you could call it that. She couldn't logically explain it, but at times she would get a terrible intuition that demanded that she must flee. It had never failed her before and she had never felt as strong a foreboding as she did now. And her mate, that stubborn man, wouldn't heed her.

"I can't go," she said.

"Then, I am going without you."

"James, no! If you go, I know—_I am certain_—that you will die!" She clutched his arm, willing him to heed her.

He shook her off and sneered. "You have no trust in me. I told you there is no danger to us."

"I trust _you_. I don't trust the Volturi. Please, come with me. You know they will see to the end of the Cullens. You don't need to be there for that to happen."

"But I want to watch it—see it—savor it. It's justice."

Victoria shook her head in confusion. "Justice? For who?"

"For me. They made me a promise and they broke it." The pure hatred he felt for Carlisle and his family was plain on his face.

Victoria once again grasped his arm and said in a clear, low voice, "They promised you nothing, James. You wanted the life that SdL would give and it was a bloody shame that it didn't work for you. You're disappointed, but that is not the Cullen's fault."

"It is! It IS!" He shoved her so hard she flew backwards into the trees beyond the glen. He turned and ran in the opposite direction towards the Cullen property…and to what Victoria feared would be his fate.

Picking herself up, she wailed, "Oh, James!"

She was so tormented. Her talent was telling her to run as fast as she could away from this place, but her heart…

* * *

"I feel like we should have some musical accompaniment, don't you, Bella?" Leah was saying as we neared the turn off to Edward's home.

I had no objections, so I nodded my head.

Leaning into the rear window, Leah asked Harry, "You got that music from _Apocalypse Now_ somewhere in this thing?"

Harry just looked in bewilderment over his shoulder, then dug around inside the console. "No, but it looks like Billy has some Bee Gees. Is that good?"

Leah laughed. "I never knew Billy was a _Saturday Night Fever_ man. Let's do it!"

Now, this old Chevy truck was a rattle trap, but evidently Billy liked his tunes. His speakers just about shook the rust off the bumpers when they were fired up. I had to laugh. Who would have guessed we'd be sashaying into the midst of the world's nastiest vampire coven to a disco beat? Maybe we'd shock them to death. This was going to be entertaining, to say the least.

* * *

The sky was brightening eastward of the Cullen property, a precursor to dawn. A few minutes before, James had appeared in the clearing and sauntered up to the marquee where the Volturi had been biding their time.

Chelsea murmured to Aro, "Milord, I don't trust this one. We should do away with him."

"Oh, I don't think so. He has proven to be very useful and may prove to be more useful, still. Besides, it wouldn't do to treat those who cooperate with us badly. Word would get around. Make him feel at home, and I believe he'll continue to be a valuable tool."

Holding back a sigh, Chelsea turned her thoughts on James, strengthening the tenuous bond he had to the Volturi. She still didn't like the man. She hoped he didn't turn on them, even under the influence of her psychic persuasion. She did spare a thought on the man's mate. What had happened to her? Victoria was nowhere to be seen.

As James reached them, Aro said, "Well met James. You see what your deeds have wrought."

"Thank you, Milord." James spoke to Aro, but he bowed to all three of the Volturi brethren.

"Without you, we'd have never trapped the Cullens like so many flies in honey. Tell me, which of the Cullens do the Quileute think has killed Isabella Swan?" Caius asked. He was always interested in guilt and punishment. He was pleased to think the Cullens, and thus Sanctuary, would soon be reaping the bitter harvest of their disobedience. He would see to it.

"The Quileute believe that it was Edward Cullen that murdered the girl." James made sure to stay well away from Aro's reach, for he didn't want the mind-reader to discover his thoughts. It was true that the Quileute believed the girl was dead, but he was well aware that their definition of _dead_ and the Volturi's wasn't the same.

Caius remarked, "It's too bad they didn't blame Carlisle. That would have been more appropriate."

"But most unlikely, Brother," Aro said. "The shape-shifters know him too well. It would have been implausible to blame Carlisle for Isabella's death."

Noticing the first rays of the sun peeking over the eastern treetops, Aro rose from his seat and with a malicious smile, said to his followers, "It is time. Get the human."

The Volturi and their minions filed down the hill to gather in the broad yard directly in front of the Cullen house. Their captive once again had her hands bound behind her back, but her legs remained free, and she wasn't gagged.

"_Shit's getting real_," she thought. "_I should wake up any time, now—at least I hope I will. Don't you really die if you actually dream it? Nah. That was probably something I read in my goth days."_

The woman was placed in the center of a Volturi semi-circle. Aro had stationed Jane and Alec at either end of the arc. Their orders were to await his signal before attacking their foes. Renata was nearby as she always was, her shield protecting Aro most of all. He was taking no chances, but he had no doubt that he was in control of the entire situation. All things were ready and in their place. Aro stood next to the hapless prisoner and looked up at the balcony of the house. He called out, "Carlisle, we have a little treat for you. Come out and see what we've prepared."

A few seconds later, the balcony door opened, and Carlisle appeared. He walked to the railing and looked down on those gathered below. He was very grim, though he didn't speak.

Aro bowed and swept his arm towards the woman. "Please allow me to introduce you to Bree Tanner. She's a little delicacy we saved from a recent banquet due to her exquisite nature—she has type AB negative blood, a rare treat."

There was a small gustatory moan from several of the Volturi. Evidently, this was information that Aro had kept to himself. Carlisle looked even more bleak, but he still said nothing.

Bree looked at Aro in astonishment and said, "How do you know that?"

Just as Aro opened his mouth to answer her, a blaring speaker from somewhere near the highway started a familiar guitar riff that was followed by Barry Gibbs' distinctive falsetto, "_Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk I'm a woman's man, no time to talk..."_

In stunned amazement, the Volturi stood, eyes wide and mouths agape as the music drew closer. They were even more surprised when a pack of the largest wolves they had ever seen appeared from the edge of the forest that surrounded the tableau. The truck rounded the last turn as the Brothers Gibbs' refrain, "_Ah, ah, ah, ah Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive,"_ echoed throughout the meadow. Meanwhile, the sun's first rays peeped over the eastern edge of the woods to shine down like a beacon upon the scene. As the sunbeams illuminated them, the Vampires began to glitter like so many dazzling disco-balls, fitting in with the 70s music that was reverberating throughout the clearing.

No one said a word, except for Bree who dissolved into laughter. "Honestly, this has got to be the weirdest dream I've ever had!"

* * *

Leah had gone over her plan with me on the way over to the Cullens'. She had also instructed the wolves on what they were to do, but I didn't know how she did it. I had been with her the whole day and she never conferred with them while I was around. I later learned that wolves can communicate through brain waves or something creepy like that. I don't know why I was surprised. It was just another layer of tooty-fruity icing on this crazy reality that was now mine.

Before we turned off the 101, Leah said, "Bella, you should know that the vampire who killed Charlie is with the Volturi at the Cullens' house."

"Oh, he is, is he?" My teeth gritted and I balled my fists at this news. I wanted to kill that MFer.

Leah put a gentle hand on my arm. "I know you seek vengeance on that one, but I think he will have a more fitting end without you having to trouble yourself to do it. He is going to be '_hoist by his own petard_' as they say in literature and politics."

"You mean he is going to be the means of his own destruction?"

Nodding, Leah said, "Unfortunately, more people die that way than any other, from my observations. Why should he be an exception?"

As we rode down the Cullen driveway, Leah had quickly described each of the Volturi so that I could identify them easily. I knew the success of our venture was up to me and my talent and I was getting nervous. As we neared the last turn, I stood and looked over the truck's cab so that I could see my foes. I shut my eyes—and also to shut out the Bee Gees as best I could—and focused on the yearning need that was growing more and more insistent the closer I got to Edward. The love, desire, and ardor I had for him filled my mind, my heart, and my soul. I'm sure I was glowing with it.

The moment we rounded the last curve, I opened my eyes and saw the Volturi standing in their rank across the drive, just as Leah had said. Without exception, they were watching us with their mouths hanging open in stunned surprise. I quickly channeled three separate reverse shields.

First, I popped a bubble around the one I recognized as "mousey" Renata so that I could more easily work on the others. With her shield negated, I had free range among them. As my reverse shield settled around her, I noticed she had a puzzled expression but had no other immediate reaction. This was good, as it gave me more time to do what was needed.

I quickly caused a second shield to encircle the deadly and dangerous Jane, who was "the short, blonde bitch." The last shield instantaneously surrounded Alec, who looked like a "consumptive teenager." I was quite proud that I had accomplished all of this before we pulled to a complete stop at the edge of the driveway.

"'At a girl, Bella!" Leah whispered.

I looked down at her and was surprised to see nothing but a pile of Quileute dirt and the ratty old lawn chair. Where did she go? I thought she and I were going to do this together, but before I could panic, I heard her say, "I've shifted into a beetle. Be careful where you step."

Sighing in relief, I realized that I couldn't spare much attention on her because things were now moving on the Volturi side. A half-dozen wolves had formed a phalanx in front of the truck, their hackles raised, as they looked menacingly at the vampires who had turned to face them. With a little wave of my hand, I stretched my shield that was protecting those of us on the truck so that it also covered the pack. Leah hadn't asked me to do that, but I thought it would be prudent.

I watched as the "prissy Aunt Fanny" Aro suddenly reached over and grabbed the "sneaky slimeball" James' hand.

"Who is this? What are those?" Aro demanded of him in a sharp voice.

I guessed he was referring to me with the first question and the wolves with the other. James never responded, but I remembered what Leah had said about Aro's mind-reading talent and the fact he had to touch someone to do it. After three seconds, Aro threw James' hand down in disgust, turned to the one I recognized from Leah's description as "Felix the Hulk," and said, "Dispose of him."

"No! Wait!" the Slimeball cried, but it was too late.

Like he was twisting the cap off a bottle, Felix unscrewed James' head from his body, demonstrating the true meaning of de_cap_itation. The huge vampire then casually strolled over to a pile of wood that had been constructed several yards away and nonchalantly tossed James' pieces onto it. I suddenly realized that this pyre was intended to be the final resting place of my Cullen family and, though I was shocked at James' sudden death, a cold anger gripped my heart. I was determined to destroy these monsters and I wondered if I was strong enough to copy Felix' technique.

Ignoring what was had happened to James, Aro stared at me for a moment and said, "Do I have the honor of meeting Isabella Swan, daughter of Charles Swan?"

"I suppose you do." I was trying to remain calm.

"You are a little different than had been described to me. You have changed."

"We all do, or we die. Isn't that the truth?"

"For some more than others, it seems. Who caused your change?"

"My _mate_, Edward Cullen."

Aro was shocked by this piece of information. "Edward was the one who was supposed to kill you."

"No. James was the one who was supposed to kill me, and he would have by now had you had your way, or so I am told."

Aro flicked his fingers at me as though that wasn't an important point, and said, "Who told you?"

I didn't answer him, not wanting to give him more information. But he didn't need me to tell him. He knew.

"Alice was at it again? Telling the future? But I'm surprised. Why are these mongrels protecting you? They hate you, don't they?"

"Not as much as they hate you."

There were affirming growls from the pack after I said that. They sounded very fierce. I was glad we were on the same side.

Aro laughed as though he found both me and the wolves amusing. "Hatred is such a strong word, but sometimes it is the only word that will do."

He turned away from me, but I heard him murmur, "Jane, Alec, it's time."

The two vampires lowered their heads, evidently in preparation to destroy me, the pack, and Harry. Apparently, they didn't know about Leah. However, seconds after Aro's order there was a loud roar and a crash. When the dust—or rather, the rust that held the truck together— cleared, there was Edward crouched on the now very dented roof of the cab, glaring at the Volturi and growling like a pissed off Maine Coon cat.

"Didn't we warn him not to do anything stupid?" Leah asked.

**AN: In **_**Apocalypse Now**_**, the US Army attacked the North Vietnamese using helicopters that blasted Wagner's **_**Ride of the Valkyrie**_**. Fortunately, Leah found **_**Stayin' Alive**_** a good substitute.**

**Thanks to my husband who is now getting into the story as he proofreads. I think he is disappointed in how something worked out in this chapter, but I can't help what these characters decide to do. Who would have ever thought Leah would have chosen to become a beetle? I certainly didn't. Oh, and by the way, you can thank him for the dad joke in this chapter.**


	16. Didyme-ish

The Bear

Chapter 16: Didyme-ish

Victoria was in torment. She was too terrified to follow James as he returned to the Volturis, but she couldn't force herself to obey her instincts and flee, either. So, she ran in a great arc, circling the location of her soulmate, but not coming any closer to him—or the others. She moaned with apprehension and despair, knowing that she would lose him,…she was losing him.

Then suddenly, he was gone. A great emptiness opened inside her and she crumpled onto the forest floor, screaming her agony into the loamy earth.

"James! My James! Ooohhh…" she wailed, wishing she could cry real tears for the first time in her vampiric life. She stayed there for a long while, in anguish, as complete emptiness settled upon her soul. But soon, there was a change. The emptiness filled with another all-encompassing passion: hatred. She lifted her head with a new, deadly resolve. A stone-cold determination insisted she get retribution on the one who took James from her.

"I must be clever. I must be deliberate but I will destroy him," she muttered as she rose from the forest floor and, like a deadly vapor, wafted through the forest towards her nemeses.

* * *

Have you ever been of two minds?

I was, at the moment. My head was screaming, "_Edward, I told you not to do something stupid_!" but my heart was rejoicing that we were together again. I jumped next to him onto the cab of the truck and reached for his hand. He stood from his crouch and took it, but at the same time tried to pull me behind him, to get me out of Jane and Alec's line of sight.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Look at those two. They are now harmless."

Edward looked at the evil twins and was surprised to find Alec writhing on the ground, his arms splayed, his eyes bulged, and his mouth agape in a silent scream. Jane had an enraged look on her face as she stared harder and harder at me, Edward, and the wolves. Her hands were in fists and her feet were spread, stiff legged as she strained to torch us, but to no avail. Suddenly she screamed, fell to the ground, and started to twist like a worm impaled upon a hook.

I heard a little voice in my ear. Evidently, Beetle Leah had crawled up my body to sit on my shoulder so that she could whisper to me. "Well, this is unexpected," she said. "Seems your reverse shield reflects their powers back on themselves. Nice touch, Bella."

"I didn't know," I whispered. I didn't want the Volturi to hear us. As close as he was only Edward could, but he was looking at me like I was crazy.

"Edward," I whispered, "this beetle here is Leah, the Quileute's _Walalo_. She's a shapeshifter, too. She's not usually a bug." I said this behind my hand, hoping the Volturi wouldn't eavesdrop, but it seemed they were too shocked by what was happening to their two prize bullies.

"Bella," Leah's buzzy beetle voice said, "take care of Chelsea and Corin. I'll catch Edward up."

Nodding, I looked over at the confused vampires in front of me and picked out one who looked like 'Betty Crocker'—she did for real, hairstyle and all—and another who looked like 'Endora from Bewitched': Corin and Chelsea, respectively. I fashioned two reverse shields and easily slipped them around the unsuspecting ladies. As I did so, I noticed that Aro was stomping around chivying Demetri and Felix to get Jane and Alec on their feet and functioning, but that wasn't working. The rest of the Volturi just stood there, completely stunned at what was going on. Evidently, something like this had never happened before.

Suddenly, an arrested expression came over Marcus' face and he looked around in angry confusion. I heard him say, "Why am I here? What are you doing, Aro?"

I guess Chelsea and Corin's interfering talents were no longer effective. I stood on top of the cab and watched as the Volturi fell to pieces.

Caius, whom Leah had described as being a washed-out version of 'Aunt Fanny' Aro, was swishing around yelling, "Punish them! Punish them!" I wasn't sure who he wanted to punish, or even who he wished to do the punishing, as he was equally shouting at Aro and the incapacitated twins. Finally, he picked up a torch that had been prepared and left next to the pyre, lit it, and drove it into the middle of the stacked wood. Grotesquely, James' severed head became dislodged and rolled off, but Caius didn't notice. He turned his back on the burgeoning flames and purple smoke and dusted his hands as though he had done his duty, though no one else seemed to be doing theirs.

The "big-boobed brunette," Sulpicia, was clinging to the "horse-faced blonde" Athenodora, and screeched over and over, "Aro, save me! Save me!" at the top of her lungs.

Now that both Chelsea and Corin's influences were gone, Athenodora seemed to grow more and more impatient with her hysterical coven-mate. She finally smacked Sulpicia across the face, knocking her to the ground. "Get away from me, you crazy fool!"

Sulpicia, who evidently had never been treated so disrespectfully, seemed to lay in shock for a moment; then, clearly enraged, flew at Athenodora, nails and teeth snapping. It was as if she had suddenly realized that she had hated that blonde bitch forever, and now she was finally going to beat the living shit out of her. At the same time, it must have dawned on Athenodora that she felt the same about Sulpicia and, with seeming relish, grabbed old vampire tits by the hair and swung her around like a lasso. As they used to say in my old high school in Phoenix, "_Hands were throwing_."

Totally dumbstruck at first by this catfight, Aro roused enough to clutch Corin by both shoulders and cry, "Do something!"

Corin swayed gently, smiled and said in a sing-songy voice, "Chillax, dude! _Everything is beyouuuutiful, it its own way_…!" and she started giggling like a loon.

Aro shoved her aside, turned to Chelsea, and demanded, "Fix this!"

Chelsea haughtily stared at Aro and then curled into a little fetal ball at his feet. He kicked her, but she just laid there like a rock. We heard a muffled, "Go away and leave me alone." Evidently, a reverse shield on Chelsea's talent made her incredibly anti-social.

"What in hell is going on?" Aro looked at Demetri and Felix. They shrugged in dumbfounded amazement.

As this confusion was happening, the front door of the Cullen mansion stealthily opened, and Esme and Rosalie ran out at vampiric speed. They swept the gaping Bree off her feet, and in three seconds had her back inside the house, safe from any malicious vampires. I saw Carlisle watching all of this with a growing gleam in his eye. His focus shifted from the Volturi to Edward and me as we stood on top of the truck. I was positive he wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but he seemed to deduce that we had something to do with it. He smiled proudly at us. I grinned back.

Meanwhile, Leah had got Edward up to speed. Though plainly astonished, I knew Edward was wise enough to realize that somehow Leah and I had this under control. He gave me a reassuring smile and nodded. I could tell he felt it was best if he let us run the show, helping as he could. He did, however, have my hand in a death grip. I had a feeling that he was absolutely determined never to let me go again, under any circumstances. Fine by me. I squeezed his hand and heard him sigh contentedly.

Leah was saying, "Now, Edward. I know Bella–and everyone else, by the way—had told you not to do anything stupid but coming out here was exactly what I wanted you to do, just not before we got here. That would have been stupid, indeed. Coming out at this time was smart. I need your powers. Can you read Marcus' mind?"

Edward squinted towards the tall Vampire who was becoming more and more agitated. "Yes. He's mad, confused, and grief-stricken, all at once."

"Can you get a clear picture of his dead wife?"

After a moment, Edward said, "Yes."

Leah flew—I didn't know beetles could fly; that was a disturbing thought for future reference—into the truck's bed, out of view of the Volturi's fracas, and two seconds later she had transformed into a beautiful, dark Grecian beauty, complete with bound corkscrew curls, pouty lips, and wearing a long white tunic with a key design that Grecian ladies wore back in the day, called a peplos . "Do I look like Didyme?" she asked.

I could tell Edward was shocked at Leah's sudden transformation, but he scrutinized her and said, "Her nose was a little longer." The appendage in question grew a bit and Edward nodded. "That's her exactly as Marcus remembers her."

"Good, good. Now, Edward, I'm going to show myself—or, actually, Didyme. Let me know what Aro thinks about it."

Leah/Didyme climbed up over the cab and onto the hood of the truck. She stood there silently waiting to be noticed. It didn't take long.

Marcus' eyes grew huge as he caught sight of his long-lost love. "_Didyme_!" he shouted and took a step towards her. The wolves that stood between them growled in unison and he paused. Aro and Caius had been unsuccessfully trying to separate their wives with the ineffectual help of Felix and Demetri, but all commotion stopped at Marcus' awestruck exclamation.

Even more awestruck was Aro's expression when he beheld Didyme/Leah. "Impossible!" he cried. Evidently, he was just beginning to realize that this situation was totally out of his control and it quite possibly had never been in his control, in the first place. He seemed to be feeling two very unfamiliar sensations for him—dread and fear.

Urgently, Edward whispered to Leah/Didyme, "Aro had Didyme murdered. No one else knows about it, as he had the vampires who killed her done away with, as well. He's kept that secret for centuries."

Leah/Didyme chuckled softly and gracefully stepped off the truck as though she was gliding down a stairway in an old time Hollywood movie. She drifted over towards Marcus, but was careful to keep the wolves, and my shield between him and herself.

A look of utter joy suffused Marcus' face and, disregarding the wolves, he walked towards Didyme/Leah until he came to an abrupt stop against my shield.

"Didyme, you live!" Marcus cried.

"No, my love," Didyme/Leah replied. "I no longer live, for I was cruelly slain and I cannot return."

The joy on Marcus' face faded as he asked, "Then, how are you here?"

"I have been summoned. There are magics in this place greater than we ever knew."

"Why were you summoned? What do you wish?"

"To seek justice!"

"Justice for what?"

"Betrayal. I was callously murdered." The pathos that trembled in her voice, and even her body seemed to wilt with grief. I'm telling you; Leah deserved a Golden Tomato for her performance.

"By whom?" I could tell Marcus' joy was turning to rage. He seemed to grow taller and more menacing.

"Whom do you think, Marcus?" Leah/Didyme maintained eye contact with the vampire, willing him to take the next logical step on his own.

Marcus' eyes narrowed as he came to, what was to me, an obvious conclusion. "Aro!"

"Yes. My own dear brother, jealous of our bond, had me slaughtered—for the sole purpose of gaining power and control over you and the rest. He has had all of you enthralled since then by his talented vampire stooges. I want justice! After all these centuries, we _all_ deserve justice!" Her sense of outrage was obvious and contagious.

Marcus' eyes blazed with fury and he swung to face Aro, who stood there in stupefied terror, his arms clasped about his shocked wife. One-by-one, the Volturi coven turned to look at Aro in growing realization and revulsion, except for Corin who was staring at the blazing pyre, muttering, "Sooooo, pretty" under her breath and, of course, the still writhing Jane and Alec. I wasn't going to release their reverse shields anytime soon, that was for sure.

Aro carefully set Sulpicia down and put his hands up. "Now Marcus, that was a long, long time ago. Let's let bygones be bygones, eh? We've done well since, haven't we?" He tittered nervously, stepping backwards as he spoke, trying to distance himself from the infuriated vampire.

Marcus let out a roar and leaped at Aro, bellowing, "She was my soul and you killed her!"

In the past, Aro would have been protected from any attack by Renata's shield, but that was now gone. Barring that, there had always been Felix who had acted as his personal bodyguard, but with Chelsea now bonding with no one but herself, Felix felt no inclination to protect Aro from any danger. In fact, he seemed to relish his freedom from that particular overweening sense of duty, and stood back with his arms crossed, watching Aro with a jaundiced eye. So, it was a simple and quick matter for the larger vampire, Marcus, to overcome and slay the smaller one, Aro.

Unlike Felix' twist-off technique, Marcus used his thumbs like he was popping the cork from a magnum of champagne and suddenly Aro's head went soaring through the sky like a bottle rocket. It landed a good way up the hill but then gently rolled down, landing at Sulpicia's feet. She screamed in rage and grief and flung herself at Marcus, who had turned back towards Didyme/Leah only to find her gone. Leah had shifted back into her beetle form and had flown to my shoulder again.

Sulpicia didn't use her hands, she used her teeth, and abruptly we were the observers of the third vampire beheading of the day. I couldn't decide which method I liked the most. When Sulpicia had ended Marcus, she threw his remains on the still burning pyre, screaming invective at him the whole time. Afterwards, she ran to Aro's severed head and, through her shrieks, ineffectually tried to stick it back onto his body. After several fruitless attempts, she gave up and gathered what was left of him and dashed into the forest, her siren-like wails fading until they were no longer heard.

The remaining Volturi coven stood and stared as their world imploded. Finally, Caius offered his hand to Athenodora, they turned as one, strode to the limo that had been parked at the end of the Cullen's driveway, got in, and drove off. I noticed they didn't offer rides to the rest, selfish assholes that they were.

Renata and Chelsea pulled Corin away from her enraptured fire gazing and led her off in the opposite direction. They probably were going to reunite with their mates. But before they left my sight, I removed the shields that had encircled them. I'm not sure they noticed, but eventually they would, I thought. I hoped they'd use more discretion when using their talents in the future.

It didn't take long for our Cullen family to appear outside, except for Alice. I found out later, she was left to watch over the now sleeping Bree, while she was still nursing a crushing headache. She couldn't stand to be closer to the wolves than she already was.

"Should I let the shield down around us? I don't think Felix and Dimitri look like they want to fight now, and Jane and Alec are still incapacitated. I don't think it is wise let them up, yet."

Leah had returned to the truck bed and shifted back into her Quileute woman form. She popped up on the cab next to us. "Yeah. Jane and Alec will be problematic. Let's keep them out of the action for the time being. I think we can reason with the other two. Go ahead and let the shield protecting us down."

Doing so, we all left the truck, including Harry. The wolves moved to a position that was less menacing but close enough so that they could snap into action immediately if the situation warranted.

"Where did you go Harry?" I asked. I really hadn't seen him during the stand-off.

He looked sheepish. "The minute I pulled to a stop and killed the engine, I got down on the floor and started saying my prayers. Looks like they worked, too." He gaped in appreciation of the blazing bonfire and the two disabled vampires on the ground. But I noticed, he kept a wary eye on Demetri and Felix who were standing alone at the edge of the pavement. I didn't blame him.

Carlisle approached the only two Volturi left standing and said, "We have no animus towards the two of you. From what transpired today, it was evident that you had no control over your actions as long as you had been under Aro's compulsion. You didn't realize how he manipulated you. You're welcome to join us, if you choose."

The two remaining Volturi guard shared a look and then Demetri said, "I think we'd best give ourselves a chance to figure everything out before we commit to anyone, but thank you for your offer."

Leah came forward with her old backpack. She said, "Well, in order to make good decisions, you have to have good information." She got one of the thermoses out of her backpack and handed it to Felix. "This is SdL. I think you'll find it preferable to human blood, if you give it a chance. Try it. If you like it, you know where you can get it."

Felix asked in surprise, "Who are you?"

"My name is Leah Clearwater. I am what you might think of as the 'medicine woman' for the Quileute. My true title is _Walalo_. The magic you witnessed today is that of my tribe. As you can see, we are very powerful and have superb taste in music."

I had to snicker. Leah killed me.

The two vampires took the thermos, bowed to Leah and the rest, and were gone in the blink of an eye.

In surprise, Carlisle asked Leah, "Where did you get that SdL?"

"Oh, I made it. It's not bad, is it Bella?"

"No, in fact, Carlisle, she makes some that tastes like hot chocolate and some that tastes like peppermint schnapps."

Leah smiled bashfully, "And some other flavors, as well. You want to try?" She held the backpack out to Carlisle.

Taking it, he said, "You are a lifesaver, Leah. We had run out yesterday. I wasn't sure what we were going to do with the Volturi camped out here."

"It's only what good neighbors should do for each other. Enjoy that, but first we have to figure out what to do with The Bobbsey Twins over there." She nodded in the direction of the still prostrate Jane and Alec.

Yes, those two were problematic, indeed.

AN: I read on Facebook that Robert Pattinson had recently been awarded a Golden Tomato by the Rotten Tomato website. Hence...

Thank you for reading. I enjoy reading your comments. :)


	17. The Bear

**The Bear**

**Chapter 17 The Bear**

"This is good land," Demetri said as he surveyed the virgin forest surrounding the cliff he was standing upon. He and Felix were deep inside the Olympic Peninsula. There wasn't a human for miles and so they felt comfortable standing in all their sparkling glory in the rare Washington sunshine.

"Much different than Italy," Felix nodded. He sipped from one of the travel mugs they had bought at the Shell station in town proclaiming that '_It's Fine in Forks.'_ They had waited until they had reached this remote place before trying SdL and discovered it was like heaven on their tongues. Felix stood, one hand resting on his hip, the other cradling the cup of SdL and marveled as he looked over the landscape. He'd never felt so free.

"You can truly have a good run here. There's not a building or road for miles," said his friend. Demetri and Felix had been paired as the muscle of the Volturi guard for years but they would have been friends despite the compulsion they'd been under. They simply meshed.

Looking down at his mug, Felix said, "And this stuff, this SdL, is amazing. Imagine not having to live in the shadows any longer? We could do just about anything we want to. We could even go to Disneyland!"

"Disney World is better. More options." Demetri had studied the possibilities. It had been his secret dream to become a cast member at the happiest place on earth. It didn't matter that Disney World was in Florida, the Sunshine State, because many of the costumes the cast members wore completely covered their bodies. He would never be exposed to the sun and reveal his glittery skin. Imagine being able to go to the Magic Kingdom every day and to always be surrounded by happy people! He hadn't realized how depressed he had been living among the gloomy Volturi in gloomier Voltura, even with Corin's Xanax. Now, he was free of all of that.

"Perhaps we should commit to Sanctuary. It wouldn't be like committing to Aro." Demetri said this with a sneer. The two vampires had compared notes, now that they were free of Chelsea's bond, and were becoming more and more disgusted at how they had been manipulated over the centuries.

"I don't know about that," said Felix. "No matter what Carlisle said, do you really think we'd be welcome? We've made many enemies by being Aro's toadies."

"You have a point. Perhaps we can do something to win their trust?"

"Like what?"

"Did you see how Sulpicia ran off with Aro's parts?"

"How could I forget? Her shrieks just about deafened me."

"She surprised me, to be honest. I never would have believed she'd have the cojones to ax Marcus and then run off with what she could find of Aro."

"What she _could_ find…? Didn't she retrieve all of him?"

"Well, she got his main body parts. But in his struggle with Marcus, one of Aro's fingers broke off. I picked it up." Demetri fished in his vest pocket and pulled out a delicate, stony pinkie.

"Damn! Without that, Sulpicia will never be able to fuse Aro back together. It won't work unless you have all the pieces."

"I know it. I don't want that _μπάσταρδος_ to be resurrected anyway. If any of us deserve to be ended, it was he."

"So, how can we prove to the Cullens that we are sincere?"

"Hunt Sulpicia down and bring her to them—without Aro's remains, of course. I can easily find her." Demetri had been prized by Aro because of his tracking talent. Now he could put it to good use for a better cause.

"Do you think the Cullens want her?"

"Probably not, but what they want less is a crazed vampire running loose on the American continents creating chaos and terror among the humans."

"That's true, but how can we make her come with us?"

"Well, we'll burn this thing first," he said, holding up Aro's finger. "Then, we'll make her an offer she can't refuse."

Having finished the SdL, the two vampires turned to find Sulpicia, but not without Felix saying, "You've definitely been watching too many mafia movies."

* * *

We stood with the Quileutes watching the vampire twins twitch on the ground and wondered what we should do about them. Carlisle sighed. "I don't think they'd be amenable to our way of life. They are truly unstable individuals and would wreak havoc no matter where they were. Aro was only able to contain them through the bonds Chelsea wove, plus the fact he allowed them to torture people now and then."

"Delightful creatures, aren't they?" Leah commented as she circled and studied the terrible twins.

"Why don't we just end them now?" Jasper suggested. He was flexing his fingers, like he was getting ready to 'pop their caps'. I wondered what his preferred technique was.

Shaking his head, Carlisle said, "That is unfair. It's what the Volturi would have done and you see what has become of them. It is evident that the Volturi's existence was misery for most of them."

Finishing her perusal of the twins, Leah said, "The Volturi suffered from a common malady: hubris. Overweening pride is always the cause of its own downfall. I've seen it many a time in my long life. Besides, the Volturi took themselves _way _too seriously. Not a shred of a sense of humor among them. What a way to go through life, eh?"

I snuck a look at Edward and saw that he was looking a little chagrinned. He was naturally a serious person, but I think that was going to change or I would drive him batty. I have a terrible habit of laughing at just the wrong times.

However, we still hadn't decided what to do about Jane and Alec. I was beginning to feel sorry for them. They'd been self-inflicting their own punishment for a while now. That must suck.

"But Carlisle, turning those two loose is like holding a rattle snake by its tail. The business end will get you sooner or later," Emmett said. It seemed like he agreed with Jasper.

"No. We must convince them to comply with Sanctuary laws or go back to the Eastern hemisphere. I will not kill someone out of hand."

"They have killed plenty without any reason themselves, Carlisle," Rosalie said.

"It doesn't matter, Rose. I will not stoop to Volturi tactics. Maybe our example will do them good."

At this point, Leah interjected, "Perhaps I can convince them to behave themselves." In a second, she'd shifted into dead Aro's form. She looked so much like him that for a scary minute I thought Sulpicia had succeeded in reuniting his head with his body. Smiling she turned to me and handed me an envelope. "You'll need that later." Mystified, I took it and slid it into my hoodie pocket.

"What will you do, Leah?" Carlisle asked.

"I'll get Bella to release her shield on them then I, or rather, Aro will talk some sense into them. Now Bella, once it has become apparent that they are no longer suffering, pop another reverse shield on them. If they don't try to use their powers, they'll just be the normal kind of creepy that vampires are anyway, present company…well, you must admit, you guys are sort of peculiar."

Shrugging, she went on, "The minute they try using their powers, they'll fry themselves. Honestly, I think that would be a good punishment for them: never to be able to use their powers again."

"That's a good point, but do you know if Bella's reverse shield is permanent?" Edward asked.

"It showed no sign of fading. In fact, it seems to me the more Jane and Alec fight against it, the stronger it got," Leah said.

Just to be on the safe side, we cleared the field of bystanders much to the wolves' dismay. But after Leah did some intense mind-meld arguing that the rest of us couldn't hear—and she had called _us_ peculiar—they moved off with Harry in their midst.

"The wolf-pack have a good point, one that you didn't hear. Jane and Alec may not be able to zap us anymore, but they are still vampires and still formidable."

Emmett flexed his arms and said, "Don't worry, we can handle those two. As far as vampires go, they're puny."

So, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie stood strategically around Jane and Alec and waited for Leah's signal.

"Ready?" I asked Leah/Aro.

"Yes. I am ready to go. Let us begin." I didn't realize exactly what she meant by that when she spoke, but it became clear to me afterwards.

I pulled the bubbles from around Alec and Jane. As they slowly recovered, they sat up and looked around in utter astonishment. They had a fragile, haunted expression in their eyes. I think they finally realized just how diabolical their talent was, at least as applied to themselves. I had a strong feeling that they really didn't care how it affected others.

"My Lord Aro, what has happened?" Jane asked as she slowly got to her feet. Alec had also regained his footing and went over to stand next to his sister. They were always strongest when they were side by side.

Aro/Leah answered, "It seems as though we have met our match and we have been given a choice, we must stay here and live as they do, or return home and promise never to come to west again."

"No! That can't be possible!" Jane exclaimed.

"But it is, my dear. Our powers have been used against us."

"How?" Alec asked.

Aro/Leah pointed at me and said, "Meet Isabella Cullen. She's a newborn but she has an amazing talent, one she used quite effectively on you."

Jane glared at me and then lowered her head, as though she was going to try to zap me.

Aro/Leah stopped her. "I wouldn't do that, unless you want to immolate yourself again."

Jane lifted her head and looked at Aro/Leah in fear. She hadn't forgotten how traumatic her experience with her own power had been.

Aro/Leah strolled towards the twin vampires as she said, "You see Bella, there, is a shield—a very powerful shield. In fact, she can shield any being with special talent so that their talents turn back on them. When Bella and the other Quileute arrived here, she immediately put her reverse shield around the two of you. You didn't know it or feel it until you tried to use your talents on her. All your power just bounced back onto you. I believe you are aware of what happened then."

Alec visibly shivered and grasped his sister's hand. "Don't use your powers, sister. Just, don't!"

"What are we to do, Lord Aro?" Jane asked in a petulant tone.

"We have been given a generous choice."

Jane happened to notice the pyre of purple flames and smoke. "Who burns?"

"James as a traitor and Marcus."

"Lord Marcus?" Alec said in shock.

Before anyone could answer, Edward said urgently, "Victoria is here! She's coming to kill…"

But it was too late, all I saw was a flash of red and suddenly both Jane and Alec lay headless on the ground. Victoria stood in front of Aro/Leah and growled, "You will die!"

Leah, still in Aro's form, just smiled and opened her arms. She did not say a word when Victoria leaped upon her. Blood sprayed from Leah's neck and torso as she dropped to the ground and instantly changed back into the frail, old woman she truly was.

Mystified, Victoria stood back and said, "Aro was human?" but she never got further. Two ravening wolves pounced on her and ripped her to shreds.

I ran over to Leah, sobbing her name and kneeling on the ground next to her. I lifted my hands to try to stop the bleeding when suddenly the scent of her blood washed over me and my sobs turned to a roar. Suddenly, Edward was pulling me away from her, his arms wrapped around me as he buried my face into his shoulder to try to block the scent of human blood. I started to shudder when I realized what I had been about to do and my sobs returned, and I just let go. I could only make Leah's situation worse. I had never felt so entirely helpless. However, I had forgotten about Carlisle.

Carlisle shouted to Esme, "Get my bag!" as he ran to take my place. He ripped his shirt off, bunched it up and placed it over the gaping wound in Leah's chest. It didn't take Esme long to return with the medical supplies and Carlisle quickly started to do what he could to save Leah's life, but he looked very grim. We were surrounded by the wolf pack, who had summarily thrown Victoria, Jane, and Alec's remains on the fire, but except for Edward and Carlisle, my Cullen family had gone back into the house. I guess, vegetarians though they were, the scent of fresh human blood was enough to bring out the worst in them.

"Auntie! Auntie!" Harry cried as he knelt on the other side of Carlisle. He tenderly took her hand as tears streamed down his cheeks. Carlisle looked up at Harry and shook his head. There was nothing more he could do.

Feebly, Leah sighed and in a voice that even I could barely hear said, "Hush, Harry. I welcome this."

"But you can't leave us! We need you."

"No…you need the _Walalo_, not me." She paused and shut her eyes, as though garnering her fast fading strength.

Then she said, "Read the letter Bella has, it explains all." She shut her eyes again.

Harry looked up at me as I stood in Edward's arms. I remembered the letter she'd given me, but I hardly had paid attention at the time, there was so much else going on. I felt for it in my pocket and pulled it out to show it to Harry. He nodded then looked back down at his greatly beloved aunt.

Leah opened her eyes one last time and gazed fondly at her nephew. She said faintly, as though her words were a part of the zephyr breeze that seemed to be carrying her away, "Take me home. Play John Denver." She smiled as her eyes drifted shut, sighed once more, and was gone.

Harry gently lifted his many times great-aunt and tenderly carried her to Billy's pickup. He was followed by an honor guard of yipping and howling wolves who encircled the truck as Harry laid her down on the soil she so loved and was a part of. He got a blanket out from under the seat in the cab. It was obviously a very valuable talisman. Incorporated within the fabric was an intricately woven stylized Quileute Bear. It was a wonder it was kept in Billy's beat-up truck. Harry settled the blanket over Leah and spread it over her from head to toe. Going to the cab, he got inside, started it up and slowly drove out of the Cullen's drive. Before passing us, he paused and said. "You must follow us as we take her home."

The wolves fell into line on either side of the truck, as John Denver started warbling 'Take Me Home Country Road,' and escorted it up to the highway. Esme had quietly arrived and given Carlisle a fresh shirt and soon Edward, Carlisle and I followed as Harry had requested. I heaved gasping sobs at intervals and Edward looked at me, with a worried frown. I tried to look reassuring, but I was really shaken. I had only known Leah for one day, and yet I felt as though I had known her my whole life. It wasn't fair. Honestly, there weren't many people I'd met in life that I seemed to instantly bond with, besides Edward—and that was a different thing altogether. Leah and I were so in tune. I didn't want her to leave.

John Denver crooned "take me home to the place I belong" but I noticed he was singing Quileute place names in place of the more familiar _West Virginia_, the _Shenandoah River_. It sure sounded like John Denver singing. However, the minute we crossed over into the reservation territory, he stopped and was replaced by hauntingly beautiful tribal drums and singing. The closer we got to La Push, the more people lined the road, in respect and tears. How did they know this had happened so quickly? More things to think about later.

We pulled up in front of the council hall to be greeted by all the tribal elders, dressed in their ceremonial best, and the somber music stopped.

Harry stepped out of the truck and said, "I have brought home Leah Clearwater, Walalo to our tribe."

The Quileute hold their burial rites sacred and private, so I will not describe what we witnessed here, out of respect, but there was a time when an elder asked Harry, "What news did Walalo leave?"

Harry said, "She left a letter with Isabella Cullen."

Once more all eyes were on me, and the elder asked, "Would you please read Walalo's words?"

Like I had a choice?

**AN**

**Mπάσταρδος means bastard in Greek, I think. Demetri was Greek in origin. Forgive me if I don't have that correct. I used Google Translate and we all know how well that works.**


	18. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

The Bear

Chapter 18 Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Athenodora looked out the window of the limo her mate was driving. She really didn't know what to think of the debacle that had just occurred at the Cullens' estate. Never in her existence had she considered that the Volturi could be defeated. Not only had they been defeated, but Aro and Marcus had been destroyed. It was like someone had removed the air from her lungs and she was left gasping. She studied Caius who was concentrating on the road ahead. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. What were they going to do now?

"My love, where are we going?" she asked.

"Away." He was curt. She knew this mood. He had been thwarted and he was determined to get what he wanted.

She didn't respond, just looked out the window at the impenetrable forest that bordered the road. She wanted to go home to Voltura but was hesitant to say so. Caius had a mulish look on his face, and she knew better than to suggest anything.

Suddenly, he slowed and turned onto what appeared to be a logging road.

"We are stopping?"

"Yes. I want to feed and there are humans here about. After we've eaten, we can turn our minds on what comes next."

"What will come next?" She feared his answer.

"We cannot return to Italy until those vermin have been dealt with! I will not have it any other way!"

"What vermin?"

"The Cullens, of course! They need to be eradicated. They disobeyed the Volturi Rule and they must be brought to account! I am the only one left, and therefore it falls to me to enforce the law."

"Are you sure, my love? Why can't we just leave them to their side of the world and go home?"

He turned and looked at her with utter revulsion on his face. "And leave them unpunished? Let them think they have defeated me? Never!"

Athenodora was feeling more and more anxious. She wished Caius would let it go, but knowing him, she knew he wouldn't. It wasn't his nature.

He pulled the car to a stop and said, "Let us eat, first. Then we shall plan to do what we must."

Getting out of the car, he went to help Athenodora from her seat. Impulsively, she put her arms about his neck and desperately kissed him.

After she pulled away, he held her and asked, "What was that for?"

"Just remember, my Caius, no matter what happens, you are my heart."

"And you are mine, my dear." Smiling at her, he let her go and added, "But we have business to attend to now."

They walked hand in hand up the forest path and Athenodora felt her anxiety return.

"Is it safe?" she asked.

"Of course it is safe. We are vampires after all. Humans cannot stand against us. There is one in this direction."

Letting go of her hand, Caius continued down the path. Athenodora reluctantly followed. She could smell someone up ahead, but the scent was not particularly delectable. Oh well, it was best to cater to her mate. He could make life very uncomfortable if he didn't have his way.

Up ahead there was a clearing and in the center was a completely naked man, standing with legs spread and arms akimbo. He was facing the oncoming vampires, but he didn't look afraid, in fact, he looked pretty fierce.

"What right have you to come upon Quileute land?" the unrepentant naked man demanded.

Caius coyly stepped into the clearing. Athenodora was a few paces behind him. She was feeling more and more uneasy the closer she got to this stark-naked creature.

Nonchalantly Caius said, "Are we on Quileute land? One tree looks just like every other, so it would be hard to tell."

"You have transgressed and now will have to pay the price," the man said, then seemed to explode into a large wolf and leaped at Caius. Abruptly, the clearing seemed to be filled with wolves intent upon destroying the two stunned vampires.

Perhaps she shouldn't have always given Caius his way. It all had led to tears or worse, hadn't it?

* * *

Looking around at the gathered tribe, I opened Leah's letter and cleared my throat. I had a terrible foreboding of what it would contain.

_ My Dear Quileute Family,_

_Long years ago, the Creator laughed and from His laughter the Quileute were born. We, His treasured children, have been content to live in our homeland ever since, at one with the earth, sky, and sea. _

_The good Creator, seeing that we needed a living guide, sent The Bear, our first Walalo, who provided wisdom, guidance, and protection from what would harm us. Eventually, all things must end, and so our first Walalo ended but not without leaving a Quileute woman in its place as promised by the Creator. _

_And it has been ever since; and so, it is now._

_In the course of my long life, I have had many sincere conversations with the Creator. I have continued to be awestruck and sometimes discomfited by His sense of humor and His repeated lesson that it is better to be humble and have faith than to be prideful and have none. The coming demise of the Volturi illustrates the consequences of this error quite well. They destroyed themselves solely by their pride. We will be there to simply to point it out to them._

I realized that this letter must have been written before I had even met Leah in person. So, she had known she would die and the events that would lead to it. It gave me the shivers.

_At this point I will tell you I have been discomfited myself by the Creator's sense of humor in the matter of my successor, the next Walalo. Years passed and He gave me no hint of whom she would be; even though I had pled with Him as I aged, to no avail. I would peer into the faces of baby girls in expectation of hearing the deep chime of recognition, but it never came._

_That is, it never came until I met Charles Swan. _

My eyes widened. My father had played a role here? What did this mean?

_Sometimes the Creator will indicate the lineage of the next Walalo, but this surprised me. The Walalo must be Quileute and Charles Swan was not. So, deciding that I was wiser than the Creator, I tried to become Walalo, the Matchmaker. Needless to say, I failed spectacularly. _

_Over time, Charles Swan became as son to the Quileute, but he still did not have the blood line needed for a Walalo. I looked about me in the tribe and tried to select a suitable bride for Charlie, so that they could produce my heir. Before I could craftily throw likely candidates in the poor man's way, he unexpectedly came home with his own bride; who was not, by the way, a Quileute._

_I remember very well returning to my cabin in bafflement when I realized that my schemes had failed. So, I talked once more to the Creator and He laughed. Why I was so sure that Charles Swan did not have Quileute blood? So, I did some research—which the old aunties call prying. I discovered that Ephraim Black and Charles Swan's grandmother had had a secret relationship—due to her being married to Harold Swan at the time—and Charlie's father was the result. Therefore, Charles Swan, on his own merit, was a Quileute. _

_Soon after, I heard that Renee and Charlie Swan had had a baby girl, Isabella. Excitedly, I went to greet the new baby and those deep, harmonic peals that announced the new Walalo were loud and strong and rang a chord in my soul for a full mile before I entered the Swan household. Later that day, I went back to my cabin, thankful and happy that the Creator had finally blessed our tribe. I began to consider the means to take baby Isabella under my wing so that I could raise her to be the Guardian our tribe needed._

I stopped and looked up from the letter. The tribe was utterly still, hanging onto every word that I read. They were surprised and as baffled as I was. I looked at Harry Clearwater and he nodded his head, encouraging me to continue. I cleared my voice and began to read again.

_Would you be surprised to know that I, Leah Clearwater, was being prideful again? I was. I hadn't yet learned my lesson, and so the Creator laughed once more and the very next day Renee Swan took Baby Isabella away, well beyond my influence._

_I had finally learned my lesson. I would continue to do my duty and trust in the Creator's wise mellifluence for the rest of my existence. Meanwhile, I'd prepare for the next Walalo as best I could. I wasn't sure when she'd return to our home, but I knew she would. This is called faith and was what the Creator wished me to have all along. _

_Some few years later, the visions came to me and I realized that the Quileute were going to become major figures in the world at large and we would need all our skill and wisdom to survive it. Charlie Swan was killed before I could protect him. I regret that, but perhaps that is what the Creator had intended because, with Charlie's death, Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan returned to Forks at the same time, an extremely important happenstance. Theirs is a match that was meant to be: soulmates, imprints, heart's desire, kindred spirits—what have you. They are better together than apart. That means our new Walalo, if she chooses to take this mantle, will be better with her mate than without him. We would never have a Walalo so strong._

_I can hear your questions now. Isabella is Quileute, but now she is also a Vampire, the mortal enemy of our people. How could she be Walalo? _

_First, the Vampire clan Bella belongs to—the Cullens—has never been, nor will they ever be our enemy. The Creator has revealed to me that it was necessary for Isabella to transform to a vampire. Her talent became manifest after her change and we will have need of it in the future. She wouldn't have been as strong in her original form._

_The second has to do with our own nature. When our tribe is not confronted with vampires, the warriors do not know their wolfish natures. Over time, without the presence of vampires, the fact we have this ability to transform into these incredible beings becomes an old wives' tale instead of general knowledge. Then, when a vampire comes among us again, that nature is triggered causing all sorts of problems—shock, fear, destruction, and impulsiveness—incidences that could be avoided if our warrior wolves were a constant among us. Having Isabella and her mate with us would keep our strength at the forefront and we will be able to avoid the problems ignorance has created in the past._

_The third reason for Isabella's selection is the fact that unless she falls prey to accident, she will live forever and be your Walalo until the sun rises no more. Having the same Walalo will always be a benefit to our tribe. It takes decades to learn how to manage one's Walalo-ness and the longer a Walalo exists, the more honed her talents become. Having one that will exist forever will benefit our tribe more than can be imagined._

_But ultimately, there is only one decision to be made. The Creator gave his people an amazing gift—that of free will. Isabella Cullen has the ability to become our next Walalo, but she has to decide if that is what she wishes to be. This is not a decision she should make lightly and without more information than she has now. I ask, my Quileute brothers and sisters, that you give her and her mate three days to digest the information that I have left in my cottage, and then allow her to return here to either complete the rituals and become our next Walalo, or refuse the position. _

_If she refuses the position, the Creator has decided that perhaps it is time for the Quileute to step out of the magical and into the practical world. He has many tribes and clans who live on that side of reality and they prosper. We could learn to do the same._

_I leave you, my people, with a heart filled with love and laughter. For many years, I have longed to begin my great journey and I hope you are happy for me now that I can finally go on it. I know that whatever comes, the Creator will always bless you, but you must always remember to have faith and a good measure of humility._

_Leah Clearwater_

I finished reading and looked up at the silent crowd around me. I folded the letter and handed it to Harry, thinking that this document is something he and the other elders should ponder and discuss without me here to hear them.

Harry held the letter in his hands, then looked at Edward and me. "What do you wish to do?"

"I don't know enough to know," I said.

He nodded. "I think, perhaps you should at least do as Auntie suggested and go to her island. It is the only way you can obtain the information you need."

"I do have one question, Harry."

"Yes?"

"If I should choose to become the Walalo, would you all accept me?"

Grimacing, he repeated what I had said, "I don't know enough to know."

"Well, I guess that only leaves us one thing to do."

"What's that?"

"Learn enough to know what we should do."


	19. Stella!

The Bear

Chapter 19: Stella!

Heidi sat in her apartment in the Castle Volturi and felt increasingly dissatisfied. She had been left behind in Voltura when the rest had left for the Sanctuary confrontation, a decision she was complaisant about at the time. Her duty, Aro had said, was to mind Volterra until she heard from them. Since then, however, she hadn't heard a thing and she thought she should have by now.

In frustration, she put down the magazine she had been thumbing through and got up to look out the window at the sunny square far below. There were dozens of people wandering about, enjoying the sunshine, window shopping, and dining at the various cafes and restaurants that dotted the shopping district. She could faintly hear conversations, laughter, and music as people did what people tended to do.

Those poor humans, she thought. Perhaps one day some of them would become a meal; however, they were safest right here in Voltura. She never "recruited" meals near where the Volturi lived in order to keep the coven's existence hidden. It was a game she had played for years. She had taken great delight in devising new schemes to lure the unsuspecting victims into Volturi clutches. The game had excited her once, but suddenly the thought of it bored her. She was puzzled by her sudden change in attitude. She had never felt this way before—at least since she had been transformed.

Sighing, she returned to her seat and picked up the remote control for the satellite TV. She rarely watched television as nothing on it had interested her in the past. Aro had a few people monitor the world news to listen out for suspicious events that could be outlawed vampiric activity. The Volturi would be quick to investigate these and deal with them when found. That had never concerned her.

She desultorily clicked through the channels until she paused on one where a man, dressed in jeans and a ratty t-shirt, was saying to a slender, dark-haired woman, "Jo, if shiplap and a barn door had a baby, they'd name it Joanna Gaines."

Heidi blinked. What could they be talking about? She watched further and became mesmerized. She observed the couple create a magic of their own—taking _Fixer Uppers_ and turning them into amazing homes—if you liked shiplap and word art, that is. She continued watching show after show, first with the Gaineses and then the two cutie-pie _Property Brothers_ who helped couples buy an old, dilapidated house and then transform it into a masterpiece. Then, there was the man and woman who competed to see if their customer would "_Love It or List It_." Her favorite show, however, was _Divine Design_. Candice Olsen's tastes seemed to be exactly her own. It was fascinating what a person could do with a fresh coat of paint and waterfall counter tops.

After a twenty-four-hour marathon of HGTV, Heidi started looking around at Castle Volturi with new eyes. Why, this place was an old dump! It had cold, stone walls, heavy drapes, stodgy paintings, worn wooden furniture, and lumpy, overstuffed chairs. And there was so much potential. Heidi started measuring, knocking on walls, and wondering if she could talk Aro and the others into a major remodel. Just think of what could be done! Maybe she could start in a small way, perhaps her own quarters?

Why not?

* * *

Carlisle looked at the sleeping woman and scratched his head. What were they going to do with Bree Tanner? She had fainted the minute Esme and Rosalie had got her inside the Cullen home and away from the mortal danger she had been in with the Volturi. Before leaving the house for the final confrontation with Aro and the rest, Carlisle had administered a sedative to Bree so that she could rest and recruit her strength. Plus, it gave them time to figure out what to do.

While Carlisle was outside trying to save Leah's life, the rest of his clan had returned to the house. Fresh blood was always difficult to cope with and it was best for them to remove themselves.

Once inside, Jasper said to Emmett, "How about you and I go to Seattle to see what the Volturi left behind at the airport? It's only been a few hours since they arrived, so perhaps we have time to fix any problems they created there."

Emmett nodded. "Good idea. You want to take the bikes?"

Nodding, Jasper said, "They'll be the quickest way to get to SeaTac."

Esme had put a hand on the sleeping Bree's forehead. Looking up at her foster sons, she said, "We'll certainly have to devise a cover story for Bree that she'll believe as well as others. Most likely, it will depend upon what you find there. Keep us informed."

Nodding, Jasper and Emmett prepared to leave, sneaking out the back while the Volturi fell to pieces at the hands of a small, but brilliant, Quileute woman. The two were able to push their Tomahawk motorcycles to the highway without drawing any attention except for a couple of Wolves, who had sniffed at them suspiciously but let them pass. Soon, they were blasting down the highway, intent on getting to SeaTac before too much more time had passed.

* * *

Edward hadn't said much since we had reunited. There hadn't been any time to talk, to be honest, what with the Volturi's destruction, Leah's sacrifice, and her startling letter. I looked at him as he guided our boat across the bay to Leah's island and wondered what he was thinking. I was afraid to ask him.

After we moored the boat at the floating dock, he reached for my hand to help me step out beside him. We stood there for a minute, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. He still took my breath away but there was something ominous overshadowing us that added to the electricity that was always there. It was almost as though we were poised on the brink of something and anything we would say could push us over the edge, so we didn't utter a word.

Finally, I smiled and turned to lead him up the path to Leah's cottage. However, when we got to the meadow where I had remembered Leah's simple, faded red cabin had stood, we discovered something else entirely.

"What's this?" Edward asked. Evidently, the quaint cottage we found wasn't what he expected either.

"I don't know. When I was here last, it was a cabin just like any you'd find in La Push. This is different."

"It looks like something you'd see in the English countryside."

Edward was right. What stood in front of us was a grey-stoned, one and half storied, ivy covered, slate-roofed cottage—very different from Leah's digs. It was perfect for me, being a literature buff as I was. I had always dreamed of something like this to snuggle into.

"Wow!" was all I could say, of course.

We climbed the shallow porch steps and opened the front door. The inside was every bit as inviting as the outside with a fireplace and comfy chairs nearby, floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with enticing books, lamps casting a soft glow overall. I sighed. This was heaven for me.

Suddenly, there was a small hum and then we heard Leah's voice. "Welcome to what I hope becomes your home, Bella and Edward. I trust it suits you."

Edward looked even more startled as he turned to find the source of Leah's voice. It seemed to be coming from the speakers that were cleverly mounted throughout the house.

"Please be at ease. I made these recordings as well as the videos you'll find long before the possibility that you'd come here to stay ever crossed your minds. In fact, Bella on the day of this particular recording, you are still in school in Arizona and Edward is in high school for the eleventieth time in Forks—that must have been purgatory for you and your siblings Edward. Eternal High School Students. I can't think of anything worse.

"But anyway, I suppose I need to explain some things right away to you. What you perceive as this house is sentient. I've always called her Stella—I must have been reading too much Tennessee Williams or drinking too much beer at the time; I can't remember. But anyway, she adapts herself to the desires of her occupants, so I'm pretty sure what you've found here is nothing like what I have. If you have any needs, just say, "Stella, my bed is too hard" and suddenly you'll have a new Comforpedic mattress. She'll even play your favorite tunes.

"Edited this past spring to add— I've been listening to these old tapes in preparation for soon to be coming events and will add addenda as I see fit. Stella is very much like _Alexa_ that the millennials have now, except she is more adaptable.

"Now, you two, you are newlyweds, and I'm sure you have had a big day, so my suggestion is to take the rest of today and get used to Stella. Then, the lessons will begin."

There was an audible click as Leah signed off. I looked at Edward and wasn't surprised to see him looking speculatively at me. I sat down on the sofa that was set in front of the fireplace and patted the cushion next to me. "I believe we have a lot to talk about."

He sat down and put his arm on the cushion behind me. "I suppose we do, but I sort of like the idea of having the honeymoon we haven't had, yet."

I could see we were on the same page as far as that was concerned and I cuddled into his arms. "So, how do you like this place?"

"It's nice, but I like who's here with me better." He leaned in to kiss me and the familiar fire took hold. We discovered that the sofa lent itself to make-out sessions pretty well.

When we came up for air, I discovered I was ravenously hungry.

"Oh, I hope some of Leah's SdL is here."

We got up and went hand in hand into the kitchen which was just off the living area. It was beautiful, of course. It had butcher-block counter tops and shiny, stainless steel. I opened the refrigerator and found several cannisters filled with delicious SdL.

"Did Leah make this or did Stella?" Edward wondered.

A pleasant, female voice said, "The SdL in the refrigerator was prepared by Leah Clearwater yesterday morning."

"Good. Leah thought of everything," I said as I reached for a canister and opened up a nearby cabinet for glasses.

Edward said, "Stella, do you have the recipe for Leah's version of SdL?"

"I do. Do you wish me to recite it now?"

"Not just now, thank you. Are the raw ingredients on site?"

"Yes. Some are in the pantry and some are growing in the greenhouse in the backyard."

Edward took his glass from me and said, "Leah was thorough, that's for sure."

We spent a good few hours going over the cottage—I salivated over the various volumes in the bookcase—some were rare first editions, and by some of my favorite authors. The bedroom was pretty and sumptuous, as was the bathroom. I noticed that the clothes I had originally worn when I met Leah, were neatly hung in the closet. It spooked me, in a way. Could I get used to this craziness? Leah called it Quileute power and I heard her refer to it as magic when she was impersonating Aro, but it certainly was a kind of psycho situation. I still didn't know what to think or how I was going to respond to it.

Edward and I decided to take a walk around the island. After a pleasant meander—the island really wasn't all that big, being more up and down than flat—we found a sheltered rock formation that looked out to sea. There was a convenient bench there, just big enough for two.

It was time to ask the questions I had been afraid to ask earlier. "What do you think of all this?"

"It's amazing and surprising, but I have already made my decision. Whatever you decide, I'll support you. If you want this, I'll be by your side. If you don't, then I'll still be with you. Either is fine with me."

"You won't feel tied down by having to live here with me? I'm not sure I'll be able to travel very far. I don't think that Leah could leave the Reservation's soil."

"It doesn't matter. Wherever you are, I will be."

"This is a lot to take on."

"It is, but I remember what you said to me when we were dating."

That seemed another lifetime ago, and I guess it was. "What did I say?"

"I was explaining to you what I did with my life, what my vocation was. Of course, at the time I couldn't tell you the whole truth—that I was searching for rogue vampires, introducing them to SdL and a new way of existing. But it gave my life a meaning it had never had since I'd been changed. You said to me at the time, that you envied me. It seems to me that this could be your answer."

Really? Was this the solution to my yearning to have a place and a purpose? Perhaps.

"I suppose we will have to listen to Leah's lessons in order to truly understand what we'd be getting in to. But how can you do your job if you're stuck here with me?"

"I can do a lot of my work remotely and others can do the leg work."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. There's something I can explore here, as well. How did Leah make flavored SdL? And are there more ways to prepare it so that we can eat as well as drink? SdL steak and eggs? SdL Chocolate Cake? SdL pumpkin pie? This is something that could keep me busy for years."

I laughed. Sitting down and eating a meal suddenly seemed like something I desperately craved and, for me, it hadn't been that long since I actually had been able to do that. I couldn't imagine the years it had been since Edward had enjoyed the sensation, never-the-less Carlisle.

I stood up and held out my hand to Edward. "Let's go back to the house and see what being the new Walalo is all about."

AN:

Please forgive the lateness of this chapter. My proofreader and I took a trip to New Orleans and had a marvelous time, but that put me behind. Then, I discovered that I must have some internal replumbing done (on me, not my house) and taking care of that has eaten into my time. Then, I must write a one-shot for the Australian Fire Relief. I was thinking of writing something to do with _A Southern Gentleman_, but I'm thinking that readers would probably be more interested in something to do with _The Mail Order Bride_ series. Anyway, Ranchward and Ranchella are speaking to me and Civilwarward and Civilella are not, so the fund raisers may have to take what they can get.

I may have been accused of watching too much HGTV in my life, but I'll never admit to it. (I really love Candace Olsen. I love the Gaineses but I have to admit, I hate word art and barn doors. Shiplap is tolerable.)

Stella has transformed herself into the cottage from Breaking Dawn II that Esme designed and built for Edward, Bella and Renesmee from the movie. I added the floor to ceiling bookcases.

Thank you very much for reading. I enjoy reading your responses to my proof-reader. He is shocked there are so many of you.


	20. Loose Ends

Chapter 20

The Bear: Loose Ends

"Sulpicia, come down. You are doing yourself no favors sitting there. You deserve some comfort and we can help."

"No one can comfort me!" the demented vampire cried.

"Come down, Milady. Milord Aro would want you to." Demetri was fast losing patience with his former coven-mate. It hadn't taken him long to find her, especially as her mind was in agony from the loss of her mate and was loudly broadcasting her pain. But the minute she recognized his and Felix' approach, she had scuttled up a tree. Gruesomely, Aro's decapitated head and body lay at its foot, his arms and legs splayed out and his head perched on his chest with his dead eyes glaring at them. Demetri studiously avoided his former lord's body.

"How do you know what my Aro would wish? I knew him better than any. He would be gratified that I mourn him." She sobbed, but without tears, of course.

"But your pretty dress is torn. We can take you to a place where you can get a new frock and your hair redressed. Surely, Milord Aro would always want you to look your best." Felix knew Sulpicia well enough to know her vanity usually took precedence over just about anything.

Sulpicia looked down and for the first time noticed she was worse than disheveled. She was an utter mess. She put a hand up to her hair that had fallen around her face and pulled out a leaf that was caught in its tangles.

"Come, milady. Let us help you." Felix was at his most cajoling. He was big and strong, but he was also very charming, in a Lurch sort of way, and Sulpicia wavered. She stretched out a leg and noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes.

She gasped at the sight of her bare foot and the gaping runners in her silk hose, and said, "I must have lost my Louboutins somewhere along the way."

"We can help you with that, dear lady." Smiling, Demetri held out his hand. "Come, now."

Gradually, Sulpicia slipped down from her perch to grasp the waiting vampire's hand. He had purposely moved to the other side of the tree opposite from Aro's body so that the sight of it wouldn't distract her.

She stood on the forest floor and tried to straighten her rumpled, torn dress and smooth her hair.

"Don't worry, Sulpicia. We'll soon have you to rights." He held out his arm and she latched on, her strength seeming to fail her, especially as she caught sight of her mate's body.

"Oh, Aro!" she cried and dropped Demetri's arm so she could go to her husband's body. However, Demetri wouldn't let her go and he grabbed her with his other hand.

"We must honor the fallen, milady. We can't leave him here like this."

"What do you mean?"

"We should build a pyre and put him to rest." Felix said.

Sulpicia gasped and cried. "Is he gone beyond all help? I tried to reunite his head with his body, but it wouldn't work. I don't understand why."

Felix knelt to study Aro's remains and said, after a cursory examination, "He's missing a finger. It must have come off as he was being carried to this place."

Looking over Sulpicia's shoulder, Demetri nodded. Let Sulpicia believe that she was the cause of Aro's missing piece. It should make her more amenable. Sulpicia turned and buried her head into his chest and wailed. Catching Felix' eye, Demetri gestured to Felix to quickly dispose of the body. The sooner done with this the closer they would get to placating the Cullens.

Shortly, it was finished. After watching to make sure the fire caught well, Demetri scooped up the moaning Sulpicia and he and Felix started to run back towards Forks and their uncertain welcome.

It was all they knew to do. They hoped it would be enough.

* * *

"Has Walalo ever led us wrong?" Harry raised his voice so he could be heard over the uproar. Many of the Quileute, especially the warrior wolves, did not want Bella to become their new spiritual leader, their Walalo. They did not want a vampire, their enemy, to take on this most sacred and honorable role.

Although that thought was prevalent, it was also true that Walalo, throughout all of their history, had _never_ steered them wrong. If she spoke, wise people listened, even if it was something they did not want to hear.

And boy did she ever speak today. Harry, himself, wasn't sure what to think. True, he had known Bella all her life. Her father, Charlie, was like a brother to him. He couldn't help but to think what Charlie would have to say about all of this.

"_Damn it_, _Harry, it's still Bella. She hasn't changed. What she is inside is what counts." _

Harry jumped. He had heard Charlie's voice as though he was standing right next to him. He looked wildly around but, of course, saw and heard nothing more. Then he remembered Bella telling him, "_Harry, you must know, I'd never hurt you or any of the tribe._" She had said it with such sincerity that he had believed her. But he had also seen how she later responded when Auntie had lain bleeding at her feet. She was in true distress until her Vampire nature came forth and then she almost attacked his wounded aunt. He had been glad Edward was there to pull her away.

Then he stopped and muttered, "Edward had pulled her away." That was why, in her letter, Walalo insisted that the mated pair of vampires was a good thing for the tribe to have. Edward would stabilize Bella's instinctive vampire responses. They were a team—a permanent team. They brought out the best in each other—and that would be the best for the tribe.

Harry stepped up to the dais once more and demanded attention. Gradually, the noise quieted and then he said, "It seems to me we've been given a choice. We can continue as we have always been—living on the supernatural side of the spiritual divide. We can have our Wolf Warriors _and_ our Walalo, or we can have neither and live in the world as others do—without the form of spiritual assistance The Creator has chosen to give us. That is the only choice we have, for without Isabella as our Walalo, we will never have another. It has been so written." He held up Leah's letter that he had been clutching in his hand.

"So, Wolf-brothers, what is it that you wish? Do you want to lose your powers, to never run as a pack again? To never be at one again with nature and the earth? Do you not want to pass on this talent to your children and grandchildren?"

He turned to the rest of the tribe. "Do you want to do without the protection of our warriors and the guidance of our Walalo for evermore? What is it that is preventing us from doing as Leah Clearwater clearly told us to? Is it prejudice? Fear? Pride?"

He held up the letter again. "Walalo told and showed us that pride could be our undoing. So, she had learned this herself and wrote time and time again that we needed to put pride aside and have faith. So, let me ask you my brothers and sisters, is your pride blinding you to the truth? Is your faith strong enough? Do you truly believe? That's what this choice is about, and it is up to you to decide, not only for us today but for all Quileute that follow us in years to come.

"As for me, I am going to do what our Walalo told us. I will be humble. I will have faith. I will choose Isabella Swan-Cullen."

There were mutterings that almost sounded like whines and a general roar reoccurred, but Harry had said his part and sat down. It was now up to the tribe to decide its destiny.

"Let us vote!" was shouted from the crowd.

Then Billy Black rolled up to the front of the room and said, "A vote, yes? Majority rules?" Billy had been the most vocal against having Bella as their Walalo. He was sure the pack would agree with him, but he hadn't noticed the furtive looks the warriors had been giving each other as Harry spoke. Did they truly wish to give up their ability? Being Warrior-wolves was so much a part of their identity, they weren't sure they could go back to just being men. They enjoyed their specialness and weren't so positive they should give it up.

* * *

"Holy Moses, this is sick," Emmett said as he surveyed the inside of the small jet as it sat in its hanger at SeaTac general aviation. Three bodies were neatly sat in their seats, looking for all the world as though they were awaiting take off. The pilot and copilot were even wearing their sunglasses. Evidently, the Volturi had pulled the jet into the waiting hanger and arranged the bodies before they escaped.

Turning to Jasper he said, "Why would they go to this sort of trouble?"

Shrugging, Jasper responded, "I suppose they figured it would buy them some time. What are we going to do about it?"

"Can we stage an accident? Fire this place up, maybe?"

"The FAA and Fire Marshal would be all over that. We'd have to make it look like someone didn't purposefully start the thing."

Emmett got a gleam in his eye and said, "There's something I have always wanted to try…"

* * *

Carlisle studied the sleeping Bree Tanner. The familiar hum and beep of medical equipment surrounded them, and the smell of antiseptic permeated the air. She should be awaking soon. He hoped she would believe their story.

"Carlisle, do you need anything else?" Peter asked. Peter was an old friend of the family and he was more than willing to help however he could. He and Jasper went way back, even long before Jasper and Alice had met. It hadn't taken more than twelve hours for Peter and his mate, Charlotte, to set up this "hospital." It was intended to appear as a small, private clinic. Charlotte was acting as a nurse, Peter as a doctor, and a few other former nomads had stepped up to act as other patients and other hospital personnel.

Just then, Bree moaned and stretched. As Carlisle had predicted, she was gaining consciousness. He had given her a mild sedative that she temporarily would continue to take once she was "discharged." Hopefully, that would keep her foggy for a while and give this whole episode the air of fantasy.

Nodding at Peter, he handed him Bree's chart and left before she completely awoke. It was better that he not be seen by her lest she recognize him.

"Oh, man! What a trip!" Bree said as she opened her eyes.

Peter chuckled. "Yes, I can imagine that it was. How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I just got off a bender! What happened to me?"

"I was told that you took ill during a flight from Europe. It was a virus of some sort, we think. You lost consciousness as the jet was landing at SeaTac. They had you immediately transported here to be treated."

"So, I'm in Seattle, now? What is this place?"

"You are at _The Riley Biers Institute of Wellness_. It's a small, private hospital and was closest to the airport."

"Small? Private? I certainly can't afford this." She started to sit up, but Peter forestalled her.

"Don't worry. Your expenses are being seen to by people who wish to remain anonymous. They were concerned when you fell ill."

"Must have been those spooky people on the jet. I guess they weren't so weird after all."

Smiling reassuringly, Peter asked, "I'd like to check your vitals, if I may."

"Sure. I feel a little hazy and weak, but otherwise fine."

Peter made a non-committal doctor noise. He listened to her heart through a stethoscope and then checked her pupils with an ophthalmoscope. "You're doing fine. After another good night's sleep, you should be ready to go home."

"How long have I been here?"

Peter looked down at the chart. "Three days."

"Wow! I really must have been out of it. Am I contagious?"

"Apparently, not. None of your companions have fallen ill. We believe it was a virus but are honestly not sure. Sometimes these things go away as mysteriously as they come. You seem to be completely on the mend, though. There seem to be no lingering aftereffects. It should not reoccur."

Bree sat back against her pillow. "Boy, I was having the weirdest dreams."

"You were?" Peter paused as he put notes on her chart.

"Oh, man. It was wild. I dreamed that I had been kidnapped by a bunch of emo-goths but I was rescued by John Travolta as he danced to disco music…then everyone started to sparkle like diamonds and I laughed so hard I passed out. It was truly the strangest dream I've ever had, and that was even if you consider the times when I was a young and stupid teen and did recreational pharmaceuticals."

She shook her head and sighed. "It was wild."

Peter nodded. "I'm not surprised. Your chart shows that you were given a morphine derivative before they transported you here, and sometimes opioids can cause very lucid and strange dreams."

"That would explain it, I guess," she said uncertainly.

Peter clicked the ball point pen he had been using shut, stuck it in his coat pocket and said, "I'm going to prescribe for you a good dinner. After you eat and have a sound night's sleep, I will see you first thing in the morning. What would you like to have?"

Bree thought a moment, then said, "Anything but Italian, please."

AN:

Please excuse the delay in getting this chapter to you. I had surgery the beginning of March and it took more out of me than I expected. Then, I needed to write an excerpt of The Mail Order Bride for a fandom charity compilation—which meant I had to get my head out of The Bear and vampires and the 21st century, and back about a hundred years to Mail Order Bride-ville and ranchers and cowboys. It was harder than I expected. But that's done and here I am back in the saddle as it were. (My surgery went fine and I'm better than new, or so my doctor says.) I'm thinking maybe one more chapter or two and then The Bear will be complete. Thanks for your patience. And thanks to my husband for pre-reading this.


	21. Redemption

The Bear

Chapter 21: Redemption

I was sitting on the dock, desultorily pitching a little pile of pebbles into the sea, one at a time. I had a lot to think about. Edward and I had spent the past two days listening to the recordings and videos that Stella played for us concerning the ins and outs of Walalo-ing. We weren't even a quarter of the way through the information Leah had left, but I needed a break. The information was overwhelming, and I had to digest some of the things I had heard and seen.

I wasn't getting very far. I had started with a pretty good-sized pile of pebbles that I had collected as I walked down from our cottage and was almost to the end of them, and still hadn't decided what I wanted to do. I sort of liked the idea of having a purpose in life, something to protect and honor. But would the Quileute want me? I highly doubted it. I wasn't raised among them, for one, but the biggest issue was that I was now a vampire, their mortal enemy. I couldn't be their Walalo if they didn't want me to be, and I certainly didn't want to stay where I wasn't wanted.

But what would I do with myself if I wasn't their Walalo?

Sure, I could help Edward with Sanctuary, but other than being with him—which I certainly desired to be—that prospect didn't interest me much. The vampires I had met outside of the Cullens were creepy. I wasn't too thrilled to be the one to try to convince them to change their murderous ways.

Then there was the dawning realization that of all the places I've lived, Forks was the only place that had truly felt like home. That feeling grew even more so as I sat here pitching stones. I loved it here but I certainly couldn't stay in Forks if the Quileute rejected me—so, where would I go? What would I do?

Suddenly, there was an upwelling in the sea right in front of me and to my delight a good-sized Orca appeared. She was so close, I could almost reach out and touch her, but I refrained. She may not have wanted to be man-handled, or vampire-handled, as it would be. She floated there, tall dorsal fin towering above her, her dark eye centered on me.

I smiled shakily, not sure what I should do, so I said as politely as I could, "Hello?"

She bobbed her head, then slapped her tail on the water. Astonishingly, another Orca appeared just behind her. He was even bigger than she was. The first Orca swam right next to the dock and I could hear a high-pitched belling sound coming from her blow hole. She kept making the noise and bumped against the dock. What did she want?

"I think she wants to take you for a ride." I turned to find Edward at the bottom of the path, just behind me.

"How do you know?"

He just smiled and pointed into a nearby tree. There were two huge Ravens sitting there. As soon as they saw I was looking, they cawed loudly and then took off and flew over where we stood and then on towards the shore.

"I had been looking around the greenhouse and gardens when those two dive-bombed me and wouldn't stop until I followed them here. I told them you wanted alone time, but they weren't having it."

He smiled and took a few steps onto the dock. "I think you ought to go. I can sort of read the Orca's mind. They have something to share with you, I think."

"Will you go, too?"

"I'm pretty sure that is why I was summoned to come down here."

A little trepidatious but immensely curious, I slipped off my shoes and left them on the dock. No point in ruining the leather. Then, I gingerly stepped onto the Orca's broad back and steadied myself by holding on to her fin. Immediately, she took off. It was sort of like paddle-board sailing, except the sail was behind me. I turned and looked over my shoulder to see Edward stepping onto the back of the other Orca, a male, I was sure. I don't know why I knew that my friend here was a female and Edward's was a male. I just did.

Talking about a thrilling ride! I could feel the orca's strength as she parted the waters, swimming parallel to the coast but in the direction the Ravens had taken. Eventually, she turned into a wild and beautiful cove that was at the northern edge of the reservation. She swam as close as she could to the shore and paused, her bell-like trills sounding loudly.

"I guess my ride is over. Thank you, Beauty." Patting her back, I slipped into the water and swam towards the shore. Soon, I was standing on the beach waiting for Edward to join me.

"That was something, wasn't it?" I asked, as he walked out of the surf.

Shaking the water from himself like a big puppy, Edward remarked, "Truly, it was amazing in more ways than one. Usually, animals will have nothing to do with vampires. The fact those Killer Whales tolerated us and even allowed us to climb upon their backs will be something for the history books. What do you think we should do now?"

"I have a feeling it will be obvious," I said as I started to look around. I noticed a movement in the treetops and there were the two Ravens that had flown on before us. They started to caw and so we followed them. Soon, we were walking up a trail that eventually led to a beautiful meadow. Tall spruce and fir trees bordered a green field that was interspersed with a variety of wildflowers. We stood there, gaping at the beauty that surrounded us. There were birds twittering, butterflies flitting, and a brook babbling nearby. As was fitting in this evidently hallowed ground, the clouds parted to allow a golden ray of sun to shine down on us.

I lifted Edward's hand and smiled as his skin sparkled and glittered in the warm sunshine. He was every bit as beautiful as our surroundings and, as always, he took my breath away. But then he lifted my hand so I could see that mine shone every bit as much as his. Our eyes met and suddenly the feelings we had for each other became overwhelming. I had never known such happiness before. For the first time since my change, I was content with what I had become, and it was simply because I knew I was exactly where I should be-with Edward.

But just as I was contemplating ravishing him right then and there, rising out of the tall grass, stood the most enormous bear I had ever seen.

Edward growled. "A bear! Be careful. They are known to be cantankerous and aggressive."

The bear looked offended and put a huge paw over the region of his heart and said, "Why, I could say the same about vampires."

Well, this was unexpected. A bear who talked and who could be offended? Amazing!

The bear got down on all fours and walked—it was more like a saunter—over to us, then sat down and said, "I am The Bear."

I'd have to say, that was obvious.

But striving to be polite, I said, "I am Isabella Swan-Cullen, and this is my husband, Edward Cullen. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The Bear laughed. Now, bear laughter sounds pretty much like a cross between a landside and thunder, so we tried not to be shocked at the sound, but I don't know why we should have felt that way. With all the craziness that had just happened in the past hour, I was beginning to feel like Bree Tanner. We had kept in contact with the family since Edward and I had secluded ourselves on Walalo's Island, so we knew what had been happening on their end. Maybe Carlisle had shot me up with some sort of vampire opioid concoction without me knowing and this was the result of it.

"No, you aren't dreaming, Child Bella. This is all real. I am part of the spiritual side of the Quileute. I speak for The Creator. In fact, some say I am The Creator, but I know that I am just a part of his being. He has taken my form so that he can converse with you. You have watched the stories that my Child Leah left for you?"

I'd better watch my inner craziness, because it seemed this old bear could read my mind. Hmmm. He had something over Edward there.

But I answered out loud. "We've listened to many of them, but just the first ones. After a while, I needed to take a break and this is what happened." I waved my hand around to indicate the glade, The Bear, our wet clothes, and the Ravens who were perched in a nearby tree, avidly listening to our conversation.

The Bear nodded and stretched out on his side, propping his head in his paw. "Have you come to a decision, Bella? Will you be the last Walalo?"

I darted a look at Edward and grimaced. Turning back to The Bear, I said, "I have not, yet."

"How about him?" The bear lifted his chin indicating Edward.

Edward answered, "I will stand by my wife. It is her decision whether or not to shoulder this burden."

The Bear snorted. "Burden? Yes. That's exactly what it is. But becoming a parent is also a burden, and still people choose to do it. Becoming a spouse—again, a burden—yet I don't see people ceasing to pair up. There are some burdens that make your life worth more than just breathing the air that is given you. It gives you purpose. It allows you to contribute to the world rather than just taking away from it."

The Bear looked at me and asked, "What holds you back from making a choice?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure I am good enough. I'm also not sure the Quileute will accept me."

The bear rolled onto his back, arms and legs splayed out, and looked at the sky. "It's pretty here, isn't it?"

I looked around at the gorgeousness that surrounded us and said, "It is." The Bear's non-sequitur was unnerving. Where was he going with this?

He waved a paw at a huge tree that sat on the edge of the glade. "That fir tree over there is a beautiful example of evergreen magnificence, yet it didn't choose to be planted in that spot, nor was the neighboring spruce asked its permission to have the fir as a neighbor. Nevertheless, they learned to grow together, and in that way reached their fullest potential. So, it will be with you and my Quileute Children."

"You have confidence in me?"

The Bear sat up. "Confidence in you? Of course, or it wouldn't have been written. Circumstance wouldn't have happened as it has. This could be your destiny, Child Bella, but it is an opportunity to use your gifts and talents to the fullest ability and do the greatest good."

"So, this is pre-ordained? I have no choice?"

The Bear laughed again. "Of course, you have a choice, but you should make it without considering what the tribe will or won't do. That is their choice, not yours. Choose what you want to do based upon _you_, not anything else. The stories that Child Leah left gave you enough information in general that you can make your decision. The rest is just technicalities."

Sighing, I got two things out of what he told me. One, that I am good enough because I was the one who was chosen, even though I wouldn't have picked myself; and two, don't worry about the tribe's decision because that isn't mine to make.

The Bear stood on four feet and came almost nose to nose with me. "You will tell them your decision tomorrow."

Yep. My three-day grace period was up the next day. "I will have a decision by then." I hoped.

The Bear grunted. "You will."

He then turned to Edward and asked, "Child, do you have any questions for me?"

Edward looked startled and started to demur, but The Bear said, "How often do you have the opportunity to ask The Creator anything? Go ahead."

Edward pressed his lips together, then looked at me. I nodded reassuringly. Then Edward turned to The Bear and asked, "Why did you create Vampires?"

The Bear cocked his head, and answered, "Of all the things The Creator created, there is one thing that He didn't, and that is Vampires."

I was shocked to speechlessness. After a moment of silence, Edward asked in a stuttering voice, "D-didn't The Creator create everything? Isn't that why you—It—is called The Creator?"

The Bear shook his head. "The Creator created the being that created Vampires. That one was a Jokester and prideful. Because of his pride, he grew jealous and sought a means to destroy what The Creator loved most—mankind—and so he conceived the first Vampire. He very nearly destroyed humankind by this means, except for one thing: he could not destroy the unique human soul and it was the soul that became, finally, their means to salvation.

"Since Vampires were once humans, they have an essence that the Jokester couldn't tamper with. However, by their nature Vampires change but slowly, if ever, so it took millennia before two vampires—your sire, Carlisle and Bernardo in Brazil—to overcome a vampire's innate bloodlust and allow his humanness to resurrect itself. Finally, Vampires can add to the universe rather than take away from it. The Jokester has been ultimately foiled. The Creator is very pleased."

The Bear rose to his feet again and placed his paws over each of our heads and said, "Bless you, in the name of all that was, is, and forever shall be. Go in peace, my children."

Suddenly, like a lightning clap, the sun disappeared and then, just as quickly, returned. The Bear was gone, and all was as it was before we entered the meadow—still beautiful, but now overcast and gray.

We turned and left, not saying a word, just knowing it was time to return to the world. The ravens had flown off and there was no sign of the orcas once we got to the beach. I suppose the magic was over for the day.

Hand in hand we walked into the waves and began a leisurely swim back to Walalo's Island.

As Edward helped me climb back onto the dock once we arrived, I noticed his expression was one of utter joy. I looked at him in wonder. I'd never seen him look so content and happy and it made my heart glad.

Smiling, he took me in his arms, held me tightly, and said, "We are not forever damned."

I knew what he meant. Ever since Edward's transformation, he had borne the guilt and shame of his baser vampiric urges, even more so since he had succumbed to them for a time, early in his vampire youth. With The Bear's revelations, he now realized the truth. Vampires were not intrinsically evil. They could be redeemed. Thy had a choice just like any human did.

That is,_ we_ had a choice.

I was pretty sure what mine was going to be.


	22. New Horizons

The Bear

Chapter 22 New Horizons

William Black sat on his covered porch and frowned at the rain that was pouring out of the skies. The weather matched his mood. He was filled with fury about the vote the night before. He simply couldn't believe the Quileute had chosen Isabella Cullen to become their new Walalo. He was shocked to discover the wolf-pack, including his son, unanimously voted in her favor. It seemed they would rather kowtow to a vampire than lose their precious ability. He felt as though he had been stabbed through the heart by the very people he had loved and worked for his entire life—his tribe. He didn't know how they were going to deal with a vampire in their midst—but not just in their midst—as their guide! And how could they trust, not just one vampire, but two when you counted her mate? It was enough to make him pack up and leave the reservation, never to return. But that thought brought a lump to his throat and made it hard to swallow.

What in hell was he going to do? He did not know. Like the rain pouring outside, a wave of despair washed over him.

A huge russet-brown wolf loped into the yard and burst into human form between one stride and the next. It was his son, Jacob.

"Dad!" he cried as he ran up the pathway that led to his family's home. "You will never believe what we saw!" In one bound, he jumped over the porch railing to land at Billy's feet.

Billy asked disinterestedly, "What did you see?"

"We were keeping Bella and Edward under watch, just as you suggested, when—Dad, you won't believe this—Sister and Brother Orca came to them!"

Billy's eyes widened in shock. The Orcas were a sacred tribal talisman that only appeared to the deserving and rarely, even then. "Impossible!" he exclaimed.

"No, Dad, honestly. It had to be them. I saw it with my own eyes. Bella was sitting on the dock when Sister Orca appeared right in front of her. Then Edward came down the path and Brother Orca arrived. I saw Bella step onto Sister's back, and Edward did the same with Brother. They swam northward. We tried to follow from the shore, but we couldn't keep up with them.

"Dad, Bella _must_ be our new Walalo. Brother and Sister wouldn't have come to them otherwise. They must have been summoned!"

"Have you seen Bella and Edward since?"

"They hadn't returned before I left to come to tell you. Sam and a few others stayed on the beach to watch for them."

Billy sat for a moment, his thoughts wild, trying to make sense of this amazing information. Something occurred to him that would seem more sensible, and he said, "Maybe Sister and Brother were taking those vermin off to be destroyed!"

Jake blinked in disbelief. "Would they do that?"

"Maybe The Creator knows that vampires are a danger to the tribe."

Glumly, Jake sat down on a bench. "I had thought this would be the answer to all of our doubts."

Billy slapped his hand on the arm of his wheelchair and said, "What doubts? That the vampires, and that includes Isabella and Edward Cullen, are bound to destroy us?"

"Or, that this was proof that Isabella Cullen was chosen by The Creator to be our Walalo." Jake was getting impatient with his dad's pig-headedness. Sometimes he felt the message was clear.

But Billy shook his head and snorted in disdain.

Jake stood and firmly said, "I suppose we'll know for sure tomorrow at the Council."

Billy narrowed his eyes at his only son. "Why do you say so?"

"That's when Bella is supposed to give her answer, isn't it? If she was destroyed by Sister Orca, she won't be there. If Bella arrives tomorrow, that will be proof enough for me. I refuse to doubt what The Creator must have ordained."

He nodded at his shocked father and dashed back into the pouring rain transforming back into his warrior-wolf form not three steps down the path. Jake was beginning to believe that his Dad was jealous of the wolves' ability—something the older man had never had—so taking away their Walalo and, thus their precious gift, satisfied him in some spiteful way. For the first time, Jake realized just how embittered his dad was.

There was nothing Jake could do for the old man now, except to let him stew. Jake had work to do. He ran back down to the jetty to join his pack and continue to keep a lookout for the Cullens. He hoped it wouldn't be long before they were seen again. He quite liked being a wolf.

* * *

Jasper and Emmett returned to Forks in the middle of the night. Alice and Rosalie were glad to see them. It was never comfortable being away from their mates for long.

"Hello, handsome," Rosalie said as Emmett climbed off his motorcycle. She held her arms out for his embrace, but immediately stepped back and said, "Phew, you smell like a gas station."

Emmett grinned and grabbed her anyway. He loved to tease.

Jasper put his arm around Alice and said, "You'll understand why when we tell you what this idiot did."

Emmett huffed. "Idiot? I'm a genius. I took care of that mess in Seattle, didn't I?"

Jasper shook his head. "Yeah, you did. You're still an idiot. Let's go in and eat. I'm starving."

* * *

"Carlisle, I just heard the boys pulling up. I'll put some dinner on, and we'll sit together in the dining room to hear what they have to say." Since the beginning of Sanctuary, Esme had taken great delight in family meals. It brought back happy memories of her childhood from more than a hundred years ago and the spreads she would share with her human family. In her opinion, it certainly beat running through the forest chasing down deer.

She quickly set the table and arranged the centerpiece. All was ready just as her foster children came into the dining room. Then, she got a good whiff.

"Emmett dear, have you changed your cologne?"

Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie burst out laughing.

Jasper said, "No, but I'm thinking Emmett needs to clean up before we sit down together, else we're going to have to fumigate the place."

"He's right, Em," Rosalie said. "Go on up to our room and take a quick shower. We may have to burn your clothes."

Jasper said, "You'll have to be careful if you do. They'll probably go off like a bomb once you take a match to them."

Shrugging with his typical good humor, Emmett headed upstairs but not before saying, "Jasper, don't tell them what happened until I get back."

It didn't take him long to return to the dining-room. He was eager to tell his story.

"Well, gentlemen, how did it go?" Carlisle asked, putting down his half-finished mug of the surprisingly refreshing Coca-Cola flavored SdL.

Leaning back in his chair, Jasper said, "We easily got into the hangar where the jet was stowed. There was no one nearby."

"How did you know which hangar was the right one?" Alice asked.

"A matter of deduction. We started with the most secluded building and worked our way forward. Before we got too far, we could detect the scent of death. The Volturi tidied up well there, I'll have to give them credit. There were three victims. The pilot, co-pilot, and someone who must have been ground crew."

Sighing with regret, Carlisle nodded to indicate Jasper should continue.

Jasper cut his eyes at his brother, and said, "Emmett came up with a plan—a crazy plan. He did the physical stuff and I did the technical stuff. First, I had to hack into their surveillance system to insert a video of an ambulance arriving to cart Bree Tanner off to the hospital—the timestamp reflecting soon after they originally touched down. I also had to erase any appearances of Emmett and me, as well as the Volturi, from their tapes. Those Italian idiots were on the security tapes as bold as brass. I wonder they didn't think to erase them, but I guess now it doesn't matter. I left everything clean. I even recorded a written log of the ambulance coming and going. I am sure I covered all our bases."

Then, Emmett said, "While he was doing that, I took the ground crew's body from the jet to the hangar floor. I made it look like he had been putting chocks on the wheels when he apparently passed out. Then, I sabotaged the plane."

Carlisle said, "I hope you were careful because the FAA is good at determining exactly the cause of these sorts of accidents."

"I was incredibly careful. I had to make it seem that something had incapacitated the crew after they rolled the jet into the small hangar, right? It had to knock out the groundling, as well, after he rolled the door shut. So, it had to be a noxious gas. Perhaps it also could have been what caused Bree to 'pass out' as soon as they landed."

Carlisle nodded. "That sounds plausible, but what could have done it?"

"Carbon monoxide from the jet exhaust. I created a fault so that it looked like it had gotten into the jet's cabin, as well as flooded the hangar to suffocation levels when the door was shut, especially since the building's air conditioning was shut down. Then, I made a pinhole in the fuel lines caused by friction—I supplied the friction, by the way." He flexed his arms as if to demonstrate.

"I had to figure a time lag between the hangar door being shut and the fireworks to account for the time between the Volturi's arrival and the explosion I manufactured. With my incredible talent it looked as though hours had gone by, rather than a few minutes." He preened, happy that his plan worked out.

"I fired up the engines and made sure the aerosol from the fuel exploded—with a little more help of my frictioning skills, and BAM! It was fucking awesome!"

"Emmett!" Esme scolded. She had a low tolerance for bad language.

"Sorry, Esme," Emmett said, but he didn't look at all sheepish.

Jasper was laughing outright now. "I was waiting outside the fence with our bikes when the hangar went up like the Battle of Petersburg. Then, there was an Emmett-sized ball of fire shooting up into the sky like a rocket and crash landing nearby. I ran over to help and there he was, naked as a jaybird and laughing his ass off."

Esme shot a hard eye at Jasper. Such language at her table!

"Naked?" Carlisle asked in surprise.

Chuckling, Emmett said, "I had left my clothes with my bike when Jasper went to fiddle with the computers. I knew they wouldn't make it through the explosion, and I couldn't be riding back to Forks in the nude."

Rosalie giggled. "That would have been a fine sight, honey."

"Maybe for you, but not for the rest of us," Jasper said, as Emmett reached over and punched him in the arm in jest.

Just then Alice, who had been gazing into the distance, said, "They're here."

Without a word, Carlisle and Esme rose and left the room.

"Who's here?" Jasper asked, as he picked up the pitcher of SdL to have seconds. This carbonated Coke flavor was addictive.

Alice answered, "Demetri, Felix, and Sulpicia. The Volturi boys want to make up for the trouble they've caused."

"What about Sulpicia?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know for sure. She hasn't made up her mind, but I do see her using Esme's bathtub."

* * *

"What is this place?" For the first time since leaving Aro's pyre, Sulpicia became aware of her surroundings. Demetri had carried her most of the way as she sobbed her grief for her dead mate.

Felix studied her for a moment, not sure if he should tell her baldly where they were or try to finesse a bit. "It's a place where you can see to your needs—get some new clothes, your hair fixed, that sort of thing."

"Yes, but where are we? This looks familiar." She was turning her head from side to side trying to figure out their location. Demetri and Felix had purposely brought her to the Cullen property from the river side, hoping she wouldn't immediately recognize it. They were afraid she'd become difficult if she knew of their destination.

The house on the hillside looked lovely and inviting. It was lit from within with a myriad of lamps shining through the large glass windows that covered most of that side of the house. The stone patio had masses of sweet-scented flowers bordering it and the path that led to the door. Just then, two people appeared on the terrace, awaiting their guests.

"You!" Sulpicia snarled as she recognized Carlisle.

Demetri and Felix stood on either side of Sulpicia and held her arms, so she couldn't attack or run away.

Stepping forward, Carlisle said, "Yes, Sulpicia, old friend. It is me. This is my wife, Esme. We want to help you."

"Help me? How can you help? My mate is gone. Aro is dead." And she would have collapsed upon the terrace except that Demetri and Felix had been supporting her.

Esme, ever tender-hearted, ran to the wailing vampire and said, "You poor thing. Come now, come inside. We can at least make you comfortable." She slipped her arm around Sulpicia's waist and with a lot of murmuring and there-there-ing, she convinced Sulpicia to come inside.

Esme nodded her head at the two remaining vampires and left them to the care of Carlisle and the comforting of Sulpicia began.

* * *

"What did you do?" Corin asked as the remainder of the Volturi guard stood in stunned silence in the grand hall of Volturi Castle. The stone walls had been whitewashed. The floors had been covered with ceramic tile that mimicked grey hardwood floors. The windows where swathed with sheer gauze curtains. Sunlight shone down on them everywhere, causing them all to glitter like Dolly Parton's bustier. There were overstuffed couches and chairs casually arranged along the walls and in front of the newly marble-refaced fireplace. Pillows and wall art provided splashes of color. In bemusement, Santiago stared at the italicized words "_Live, Laugh, Love_" that hung above the mantel.

As one they turned to Heidi with dumbfounded expressions and Corin again repeated, "What did you do?"

"I, er, I redecorated a little? Do you like it?"

Renata sat down in one of the armchairs, bounced a little, and said, "Well, it's different."

Chelsea ran a hand along a marble console table and said, "You were brave to do this without thinking to get Aro's approval first. It's a good thing he's dead. I can see him having fits over this."

Afton, Santiago and Leonard, the Volturi Guard that had been left at the SdL farm in New Mexico, had been joined by their mates soon after the final show down with the Cullens. Their world had turned upside down in just a matter of moments, it seemed. They didn't know what to do. So, after they reunited and commiserated, Leonard said, "Maybe there's a man that we need to see…" and looked toward the farmhouse where Garrett and his Sanctuary comrades were. This being exactly what Garrett had hoped for, they were welcomed with open arms. Following an in depth discussion—and some sampling of SdL—the Old Guard decided to return to Voltura bringing SdL with them and to see if they could start their own manufacturing plant in Europe. Without the domination of Aro, Caius and Marcus, perhaps they could have a hopeful, new life ahead. To get them started, Sanctuary offered to supply them the needed SdL and assistance to begin their own production.

It was at this point that they had contacted Heidi in Voltura, explained their current situation, and after she recovered from her shocked reaction, had her wire them the necessary funds so that they could return home. At the time, she didn't think to tell them about what she had been doing while they were gone. It gave her the beginnings of a grand scheme. Better it be a surprise.

And boy, were they surprised.

Heidi hurriedly began to explain after Corin's baffled question, "You see, I was thinking—since Aro and the rest are gone, we need to decide what we can do so that we can continue to live in comfort we are used to. What do we already have? Real estate! Look around you! Castle Voltura is a Tuscan wonder. People would pay big money to visit here."

"You want to turn our lair into a museum?" Chelsea inquired.

"It isn't a _lair_ any longer, Chelsea, it's our _home_," Heidi declared.

She went on, "And we aren't going to turn it into a museum. We're going to do even better—we're going to create an upscale boutique hotel and restaurant. See, I have the plans already drawn up." She unfurled a blueprint across the waterfall island she had just installed and gestured for all to gather round. Now, Heidi's vampiric talent was to be able to sway people, vampires included, to her point of view and so it wasn't long before she had convinced her companions that not only was this something they could do, it was something they absolutely had to do.

And so, the Volturi Guard were on their way to becoming the most popular hotelier in Europe.

**AN:** The Battle of Petersburg, during the American Civil War, was also known as the Battle of the Crater because of an enormous explosion that occurred when the Union forces dug a mine they under the Confederate defenses, loading it with gun powder and blowing a huge crater and breaching the Confederate lines. You can see the remnants of it today at the Petersburg National Battlefield Park, just south of Richmond, Virginia. Jasper would know about this because—of course—the Civil War was his war.

I know there's probably a million real reasons why Jasper and Emmett couldn't have pulled off their airport cover up. I ask you to suspend your belief for a bit and pretend that Airport Security can be easily breached by two clever vampires.


	23. The Last Walalo

The Bear

Chapter 23 The Last Walalo

I've been the Quileute Walalo for a year now. I can see why Leah had such a sense of humor. Honestly, it is the only way I've been able to get through it. Well, that and having Edward staunchly at my side. It seems as though he has always been there, my best friend, my confidante, my lover, my rock.

I was surprised—shocked, really—when he brought me a bouquet of flowers one day and said, "Happy Anniversary, Bella."

"Anniversary?"

"Yes, we met each other one month ago today." I had been Walalo for a few weeks and it had already seemed like years. A lot sure happened since then.

Billy Black decided that he couldn't live on the reservation with me and Edward there, especially as I was Walalo. He had Jake pack his things and he moved to Port Angeles. I don't think he is any happier there than he would have been he had stayed, but he's a stubborn man. I hope that he softens his attitude eventually. I'm sure he misses his home. Maybe as time passes and he sees that we're not a threat, he'll relent.

The wolf-pack has grudgingly accepted me. Really, the only reason they voted for me in the first place was because they'd lose their ability to transform if they didn't, and I understood that. But in the months since, I've proven myself to them, I think.

The Cullens decided that it would be best if they left Forks. With the Volturi turning vegetarian, and the discovery that you can make flavored SdL, the family decided they needed to be headquartered closer to production centers. Besides, not only did the wolf-pack give Alice a headache, now I did, too. I was sorry about that because I knew how close Alice and Edward were, but as he said, there was always the telephone or the computer.

To our great astonishment, what remained of most of the Volturi decided to go into the bed and breakfast industry. They completely remodeled Castle Voltura turning it into a five-star resort, complete with a soon to be renown restaurant. Evidently, they had turned the huge room where they used to gorge on the unwitting humans that Heidi had lured inside into a fancy place where humans gorged on pâté and pasta. Now, if that isn't an example of irony, I don't know what is.

Felix and Demetri took Sulpicia back to Italy. She wasn't interested in going to Disney World with them, to their utter relief. While the rest of the guard didn't quite welcome her with open arms, she did eventually fulfill a position as the resident ghost of Castle Voltura, a role she grew to enjoy. It seemed that her old-fashioned clothing tastes and habit of roaming the halls, sighing and groaning her grief for Aro was inadvertently seen by a few guests now and then, scaring the pasta right out of them. When word got out about Sulpicia the ghost, their bookings doubled. Humans were such strange creatures.

Felix and Demetri finally where able to audition at Disney World to become cast members at the happiest place on earth. So, if you should happen to decide to spend a better part of your savings and come to Orlando for a family vacation, make sure you take a hard look at Mickey Mouse. It could very well be Demetri. And check out The Beast, while you're at it. That's Felix. Those two old vamps couldn't be happier. And Disney and company couldn't have asked for better employees. They were always available, never complained about the heat while wearing their costumes, and the guests loved them.

Meanwhile, back at Walalo's island, Edward was turning into a mad scientist using Leah's SdL recipe to concoct all sorts of different _vegepire_ foods. (I made that word up, by the way. Edward didn't like it, but I thought it was cute.) He had successfully created some solid forms of SdL that could potentially be manipulated to resemble honest-to-goodness human foods, but now they were more like tofurkey than the real thing. I am sure that eventually he'll be able to achieve his goal and develop solid food that will look fabulous and taste delicious. I've become partial to his chocolate milk shake SdL. Carlisle was angling for Edward to work on a good single malt whisky, but that was on the back burner for the moment. Edward wasn't too sure that having drunk vampires running about the place was a good thing.

I found that becoming the Walalo meant several things. First, the acceptance that I was a now a magical being—me, prosaic, plain, down-to-earth Bella—was now something quite supernatural. My own self-image had to undergo a terrific upheaval, and the confidence I developed from it was a good boost. The tribe had accepted me as their own. The knowledge that they relied upon me spurred me to use whatever talents I had to the best of my ability.

This was helped by the gifts I had inherited with my new role. No, I can't shape-shift like Leah did. I think my vampirism prohibits that. However, the moment I had been invested as Walalo during a mystical midnight ceremony on First Beach, I suddenly had the "long vision" that Leah had told me about. I could "see" what was happening around the world if it affected the Quileute tribe and that enabled us to react wisely to events. So far, I found the most frustrating issues came from the government passing laws that could badly impact our way of life. There was always some yahoo gazillionaire wanna-be who had plans to do something commercial with the pristine environment that we lived in. Usually, they'd cozy up to the politicos in the government to get things their way. Have I ever mentioned that I hate politics? Well, I do. Fortunately, Edward is a good advisor in these cases.

Actually, I'm thinking about putting someone up for an elected position within our state government—perhaps even our national government—in order to have a voice on the inside. Just yesterday, Edward mentioned that Billy Black should be encouraged to run for office. I think that's a good idea. He's smart, and cagey, and he does love his people. He may not be able to tolerate living with me here, but he can still do a lot of good for his tribe if he became their representative in Olympia or Washington, D.C.

The second talent that I inherited was the ability to "hear" the thoughts of the wolf-pack. I'm not so sure that this is a wonderful thing. A more perverted bunch of lunkheads I've never known. Ninety percent of their thoughts have to do with sex. The other ten is about food. Believe you me, I certainly understand why Leah moved out to the island.

After the first council meeting, I swear I needed brain bleach.

When I returned home, I exploded. "Yuck! Do all men think about nothing but sex?"

Edward looked amused and asked, "What makes you ask?"

"Because that's all the wolf-pack was thinking about during the council. They weren't thinking about anything that was on the agenda. Not the fisheries. Nor the condition of the boundaries. Nor recent strange visitors to the beach. No, all they thought about were tits and asses. Not even mine were off limits. I gave Sam Uley _such_ a look."

Edward took me in his arms and said, "They do say that men are sexual beings, even vampires have been known to have a wayward thought or two." He grabbed my derriere as he said this.

"Do you think about sex all the time, too?" I was incredulous. Edward had always been such a gentleman. He was romantic and loving. There was nothing crass about him, as there had been with the wolf-pack.

"Since I met you?" He asked, a wicked smile on lips.

"Do you really?" I was certainly surprised.

He pulled me closer and in a lofty tone said, "I have the ability to think of more than one thing at a time, my love. But yes, you do take up a lot of my imagination."

"All the time?" He was beginning to distract me with his errant hands.

Nodding, he grinned and said, "Yes. Like right now."

Suddenly, he tackled me with such force we flopped onto the sinfully plush, down-filled sofa that was the centerpiece of our living room. But as we landed, there was a loud pop and, like confetti on New Year's Eve, feathers flew throughout the room.

We were both stunned at first, but soon I started to giggle which progressed to outright howls.

"What's so funny?" Edward looked a bit put out at my reaction to our predicament.

"You're so funny."

"Me?" He was even more put out.

"Yes. You look as though you expect Stella to start scolding you for horsing around and busting the furniture."

His eyes darted around the room, but a smile tickled the corners of his mouth and he whispered, "I still feel a little strange that she's always there, listening, and watching."

"You can ask her not to, you know."

"Really?"

"Yep. Watch. _Stella, take a break and ignore us for five minutes_."

Stella's disembodied voice said, "Okay. I'm going to read a book. Call me when you want me."

Edward blinked and said, "I don't know whether to be amazed that our sentient house chooses to read a book when it's on its own time, or irritated that you think I'll only take five minutes."

I really started cracking up then, and Edward joined me but not without proving that he could last a lot longer than five minutes when he put his mind to it.

And so, he did.

The end.


	24. Epilogue

The Bear

Epilogue

_Ten Years Later_

"Amber, I'll never understand how you could talk me into taking up hiking of all things!" Bree Tanner complained. The two women were following a rough track along the bank of the Calawah River on the Olympic peninsula.

"Oh sugar, it's good for us! Women need fresh air and exercise to keep their youthful figures, good health, and especially, their good head space."

Bree and Amber worked together as waitresses in a Port Angeles restaurant called _La Bella Italia_. The autumn before, Bree had moved to that picturesque fishing village, thinking that having a change of _place_ would also help her to find a change of _pace_. Her life had been confusing these last many years. She was hoping she could find in Port Angeles what she had been missing in herself. One of the last places she would have wanted to work, an Italian Restaurant, was the only place she could find a job, so she gritted her teeth and took the position. After all, she didn't have to eat the food. It had worked out rather well. She had made some good friends and her life seemed to be brightening.

But Bree shook her head. The last thing she needed was head space. In fact, ever since _the incident_ when she worked for the charter service, her head had been in outer space, mostly. Dr. Jenks, her therapist, had told her that a great shock did numbers on a person's psyche, including the disturbing tendency to create false memories to substitute for a traumatic reality. On that flight a decade ago, she had passed out due to carbon monoxide poisoning. When she awoke, she was in a posh hospital and was told that she had caught a virus or something, but they weren't sure. Later, her illness was diagnosed as poisoning due to the engine exhaust that had managed to get into the jet's cabin. She was lucky to have passed out when she did because she was immediately removed from the plane once it landed. Her coworkers hadn't been so lucky. Later, they had been completely overcome and the leaking gas had led to a tremendous explosion.

She never went back to working on a charter. In fact, she stayed far away from planes in general. The experience had given her lingering after effects. She still had very vivid memories of emo-goth creatures, impenetrable woods, and a beautiful house on a river. But those memories, she had been told, were all something her brain had concocted. Even the hospital where she came to consciousness in hadn't been real. When she had been discharged from there, a taxi had taken her home to her apartment.

Later, her parents had come and broke the news of the deaths of her colleagues. Of course, she was shocked. However, she was even more shocked when she told her folks about being treated in the _Riley Biers Institute of Wellness_, and they insisted that she had been at Swedish Medical all along. She was determined to prove them wrong, so she had backtracked the taxi's route to where she remembered the hospital had been, but it wasn't there. There were just a series of office buildings and warehouses. In fact, there were no records of the _Riley Biers Institute_ anywhere. She was astonished when Swedish Medical Hospital produced the records of her admittance and treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning. The evidence that her memories were wrong was overwhelming. So of course, she had thought numbly, that's where she must have had been all along.

Still, she had been very confused. Her confusion led to therapy, which was helpful over the years, but there were occasions that she felt like she was an old-fashioned record that had skipped over something important. She was tired of that feeling and so she was hopeful Port Angeles would fill the spaces she was missing.

"Where are we headed, Amber?"

"There's a town just a few miles ahead called Forks. They have a little hotel there that caters to hikers. We're going to stop there overnight. You'll love it."

Amber ducked under an overhanging limb and parted the vegetation that verged on a large, open meadow. "Wow! Look at this place!" she exclaimed.

Bree did. In front of them was what at first seemed to be a meadow, but now it was obvious it was someone's huge yard as there was a beautiful late-century modern house sitting in the center of it. It was all windows and wood and stucco, with the most amazing flowers and trees adorning it.

A solid chord of recognition sounded as Bree gazed around her. "I've been here before."

"I thought the furthest you ever got up the peninsula was Port Angeles. This is almost to the coast." Amber looked at Bree skeptically.

Bree took several hurried steps into the yard. "No, I've been here. I know it. Come on. I'll prove it."

She led her friend across the yard, around to the front of the house. "There will be a large circular driveway in front with a big double door and a balcony." She waved her arm in the direction of the hillside that led to a forest. "And there was a tent over there, but that's not there anymore, of course."

They got around to the front of the house and it was just like Bree had said it would be. She led them to the front door.

"What are you doing? This is private property. I'm not sure they'd like having strangers show up and hang on their bell." Amber was usually daring about these sorts of things, but for some reason, she was hesitant to knock on this door.

"I've got to see who lives here." Bree was adamant. Things, long missing things, were finally clicking into place in her head. She rang the doorbell.

There was no answer.

"Come on, Bree. Let's go." Amber was getting more and more anxious.

Bree rang the bell again and followed that by knocking on the door.

But there was still no answer.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to figure out what happened here. I've been here before, long ago. There was a tent over there, there were a dozen or so goths acting all emo and they had kidnapped me and brought me here. There was a man who stood on that balcony. He had blonde hair that was so fair, it almost looked white."

She turned and pointed up the driveway. "There was an old pickup truck that was blasting the Bee Gees. And there was a woman with long brown hair and red eyes standing in the bed of the truck."

She ran across the grass to a flat area. "There was a pile of logs here. I remember it vividly. They told me it was all a dream or something that I made up. But it was real. This place proves it _was_ real, Amber. I am not broken! I am not crazy!"

Amber was befuddled. She'd never seen her friend so excited. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

* * *

_Dear Mr. Carlisle Cullen,_

_Through the Clallam County property assessor, I discovered you own a beautiful property just outside of Forks, Washington. I stumbled upon it while hiking last month and it brought back some memories…_

"Oh, dear," Carlisle said as he read Bree Tanner's letter. "We really bolluxed up this girl's life."

Esme looked up from some architectural plans she was reviewing. "How so?"

Carlisle went on to explain the confusion and displacement Bree had suffered during the last ten years due to their coverup of the Volturi attack and her role in it.

"That poor girl. We must do something for her."

"I'm going to leave it up to Bella and Edward."

So, that was how it was finally revealed to Bree Tanner, under a non-disclosure agreement, what had actually happened that summer day a decade previously. The Cullens were apologetic about the trouble it had caused her and decided to try to recompense her as best they could. Bree took all the revelations in stride, accepting the secret of vampires, shapeshifters, supernatural gifts, and the power of the Bee Gees. She was so relieved that she wasn't crazy, she couldn't ask for more.

"But actually, there's something that you can do for us, if you'd like," Edward said.

And so, that was how Bree Tanner became the personal assistant to Senator William Black in Washington, D.C. It helped that she knew _everything._ Billy found her to be intelligent and competent, so much so that after a few months, they both recognized their relationship had grown beyond a professional one. It wasn't too long before Bree became Billy's wife in a sweet ceremony in La Push, presided over by their Walalo.

It was fitting that the newly wedded bride and groom left the altar to the strains of _Staying Alive_.

AN: Well, that ties up all the loose ends, I think. Finally, Bree and Billy got their due. I know that Billy is old enough to be Bree's dad, but…he's in Washington D.C. She's not the only young'un there on an old fool's arm. Thank you very much for reading. It means a lot to know there are folk enjoying the creations of my brain (and Stephenie Myers, of course). Thanks to my husband for pre-reading this.


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